Beauty is Skin Deep
by zozopicki2
Summary: After the war, all Hermione Granger wants is to live a normal life. When she discovers a long kept secret, her world is opened to new possibilities. What path will she choose? What will her friends, family and enemies say? As she figures everything out, she must face a new danger and discover that not everything is how it seems.
1. Prologue: A Secret Well Kept

**SO BEGINS THE STORY **

**PROLOGUE: A SECRET WELL KEPT **

In the hinterland of Tuscany, not too far from Florence, in amongst rows of olive groves and grapevines, sat an enormous Italian mansion. The mansion sat on the top of a hill which exposed it to large panoramic views of the countryside from the terraces that surrounded it. Alongside the three-storey building, there were impressive well-kept gardens decorated with many expensive sculptures and beautiful fountains. The garden was also complete with their own hedge maze and a brewery. To say the least the Zabini family were well off.

In the southern wing of the mansion, Roberto Zabini sat in their study reading the Daily Prophet with anxiety. His wife, Valentina, stood peering over his shoulder to read what was causing her husband to act in such a way. Once she saw the headline, she gasped and nearly fainted from the shock. It had been a month since the war had ended and the wizarding world was finally returning to normal. But today's paper had set the two Zabini's hearts on fire. They had kept this secret for so long but now it had threatened to expose itself. They had contemplated doing this themselves, but the paper beat them to it. Roberto's hands shook as he folded the newspaper and sat it on the desk. The husky, dark skinned, Italian man twirled his moustache with his fingers and turned his chair to stare out the window into the olive groves that lay beyond the garden. He was nervous. He was deep in thought when his slender wife began rubbing his shoulders from behind.

'Darling, what should we do about this mess?' She asked breaking his concentration. He swivelled his chair around to face her. She looked so calm, but he knew she would be anxious on the inside. That was one of the things he loved about his wife. She could keep appearances. She was intelligent too. Her suggestions had allowed them to hide this secret so well for 18 years.

'Nothing. We let it happen. I'm surprised it took so long for us to be found out.' Roberto said and stood to lead his wife out of the study, but stopped when his wife spoke again.

'And our son. What about him?' Valentina asked. 'He will not take this news very well. We kept this from him for so long, he will be mad at us.' Roberto started to play with his moustache again and moved to sit on the lounge in front of the fireplace. His wife sat down next to him. That was true. He hadn't accounted for that.

'Yes, that does pose a problem. However, he should know better than to argue with his parents. We did what we had to do at the time.' He said and grabbed Valentina's hand and rubbed it softly, gazing into her green eyes and smiled. He sighed and then spoke again. 'It will be ok, sweetheart. I will see to it that he and the papers don't blow this out of proportion.' He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before standing once more and then walked towards the door. He paused and looked over his shoulder once more before leaving. He was glad that they were finally found out and he wasn't all that surprised that the person who found out beat them to it. After all they were of Zabini heritage.

'She's coming home.' His wife looked up at him and they smiled.

Hermione Granger had spent the good part of the last month helping fix Hogwarts. The school had been badly damaged in the war and she had jumped at the opportunity to help put the school back together again. She had missed school in the year that she, Harry and Ron had been on the run and now that the school was being fixed, she couldn't wait to finally go back and finish her last year.

_And to live a normal life._

She sighed. She didn't think she'd ever live a normal witch's life now. She had been plastered all over the papers alongside her friends ever since the war. She had known the publicity would be insane, but they just wouldn't leave her alone. She only did what she had to do to save the world from Voldermort's wrath. The worst part about it all was that they were now dragging on about her so called relationship with Ron. It was true that she did love Ron and they had become really close during the war. But ever since that kiss in the Chamber of Secrets, they had both seen that a relationship between them would never work. So, they had remained friends. Ron had even told her last night that he was now dating Lavender. Harry and Ginny had become quite close as well and were now dating much to everyone's delight. As much as Hermione was happy to see everyone moving on and being happy, she couldn't help but feel like something was missing. But she dove into fixing the school, hoping that once she got back to schooling, she would feel whole again. Right now, she was fixing the wall where the hidden swimming pool had been exposed (Whoever gets that reference gets 10 points), when the new Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, came up behind and startled her.

'Miss Granger, I need you to take the records of the Hogwarts renewal project down to the Ministry of Magic Archives please. I would do it myself, however, Minerva has asked me to take a look at the new candidates for the Defence Against the Dark Arts teaching position. Dumbledore made some very poor decisions in the past even though he was a smart man.' He said the last part with a chuckle. 'Would you please do this for me Hermione? There is no one here I trust more than you. Thank you.' Before she could reply, he handed her a stack of records, smiled at her and walked in the direction of Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, who was currently putting the finishing touches on the main staircase.

Hermione sighed. This wall would have to wait. She walked to the apparition point and went straight to the Ministry of Magic. Once there, she walked over to the elevators and punched the level 2 button. Once she arrived, she went through the office door into what looked like utter chaos. The receptionist looked like she was in a frantic mood, so Hermione rushed forward to ask if she needed help. She looked up at Hermione and her face relaxed and she stopped what she was doing.

'Oh yes Hermione dear, if you don't mind helping me pick up these birth certificates that would be great. It is been absolutely chaotic here today with the aftermath of the war and such.' She said and went about picking up the papers.

'Oh, it would be no trouble at all.' Hermione smiled and placed the records on the ground and went to help the lady. Hermione started picking up the birth certificates when she came across one that she couldn't help but find odd. It was for a pureblood girl, born on September 19th, 1979. Weird. That was her birthday. Then she looked at the name.

_Eleanora Hermione Zabini._

She nearly screamed and startled the poor receptionist to death. But she took a deep breath before continuing. That couldn't be right. Hermione thought that her parents had said that they had made the name up and there had been no record of that name before. But here it was, on a birth certificate from the same date and year as her birthday and yet it wasn't her certificate. Then she remembered the name.

_Zabini._

This girl couldn't be related to Blaise, could she? Hermione scratched her head and thought back to her birthday at Hogwarts. She remembered looking over at the Slytherin table to see someone else had the same birthday as her. But who was it? Was it Blaise? She thought harder. Hang on, it was him. Well that just opened a whole other can of worms. Blaise had a twin? How come she never knew about her and why did she have an oddly similar name to her? There were too many coincidences. Hermione was having trouble breathing. Her mind was buzzing. She needed to find answers. Who was this mysterious girl? What had the Zabini family been hiding? She finally controlled her breathing, picked up the rest of the certificates and handed them to the receptionist. She thanked her for her help. But she couldn't register it. She went towards the elevator in confusion. She suddenly remembered why she was in the archives in the first place. She ran back and handed the receptionist the pile of Hogwarts records and then went to flee the room again. But before she did, she stopped and she asked if she could check the death records. The receptionist happily obliged. After all, it wasn't an unusual request after a war. She needed to know if this girl was alive. After an hour of searching the records for the death and heritage of an Eleanora Zabini, all that Hermione found was that she was indeed Blaise's sister and she was alive. But why had she been kept a secret? If Blaise had gone to Hogwarts, why hadn't she also?

Now that she had discovered this girl, she needed air. She needed answers. She knew just where to find them.

Little did she know, a little bug reporter had been hiding in the banisters and seen everything. It was time for another scoop.


	2. Twins

**Chapter 1**

Blaise Zabini had a good life. He had friends, he had parents who loved him, he never got in anyone's way and to top it off, his family was one of the richest and prolific families in the wizarding world. The only thing that would make his life better is if he had a sibling. He was grateful that his parents were always there for him and stayed well away from the war politics, even when they were asked to be deatheaters. But he always found that his life was so lonely. Now that the war was over and they were rebuilding the school, he thought about what he would do with his life. He would most definitely go back for his final year. Then he would find a job. Maybe a potions master or a healer. He chuckled at a memory of him from when he was five. He had met a muggle girl and they had talked about what they had wanted to be when they grew up. She had wanted to be a zookeeper and then they had started playing zookeepers. He had sneezed and accidentally turned the girl into an elephant. When his parents showed up, they were not impressed, and the poor girl had to be taken to St. Mungo's to be obliviated. That was the last time he saw that girl. He was never allowed to play with the muggle children in town from that day on and it made his life so lonely. Sure, he had wizard and witch friends like Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott, Daphne Greengrass and he supposed Pansy Parkinson, but they had all been from rich families who had strict beliefs in pureblood supremacy and the ways in which children should act, so they were never much fun. It was only when they got to Hogwarts that they began to find their ways. Draco, Theo and Daphne became more like the friends he had wanted and Slytherin house became his own second family. But whenever he was home, he still felt like a piece of him was missing. Blaise shook his head of his thoughts, got off his bed and walked over to pick up his broom. It was a nice day for flying. He had been flying around the estate for about an hour when his friend, Draco Malfoy flew up behind him. He waved and he waved back.

'Hey mate, have you seen the papers today?'

'No, why?' Blaise replied lazily.

'There's an article in there about your sister.' Draco said before flying down to an apple tree to retrieve one. Blaise nearly fell off his broom. His sister? What was Draco going on about?

'Amico mio (My friend), you must be mistaken. I don't have a sister.' He said and flew down to where Draco was eating his apple.

'Then who the heck is Eleanora Zabini then?' Draco asked. 'She has the same birthday as you and everything.' He landed and rested up against the tree. Blaise was trying to comprehend what his friend was saying. He landed and sat down next to Draco.

'You mean to say, that I, Blaise Andrew Zabini, have a twin sister named Eleanora Zabini, who my parents have kept from me my entire life? Don't be ridiculous Draco. I think I would've known if I had a sister. You're mocking me because you know I've always wanted a sister.' Blaise said and turned away. Draco was very amused. He sat there and ate his apple. He knew his friend had no idea about the article or his sister. So, he took out the morning paper from his satchel and gave it to his friend. Blaise began to read.

**ZABINI FAMILY SECRET EXPOSED**

_Rita Skeeter _

_The highly prolific Zabini family are not only known for their contribution to the wizarding community but also for their mystery. A source for the Ministry of Magic Archives found a new ground-breaking discovery that will shock the world. A Miss Eleanora Hermione Zabini's birth certificate was mysteriously located in the archive late yesterday afternoon. Her birth date is the same as Roberto and Valentina's eldest and only son, Blaise Zabini. That's right folks, the heir of the Zabini estate has a twin sister. Sources within that department have also confirmed that the certificate was legitimate and contain both the signatures of the heads of the household. Upon further investigation of records, it has been proven that the girl is still alive. However, the mystery remains, where is Eleanora now? What does she look like? Why has she been kept a secret? The Zabini family have yet to make a statement about their daughter. Keep your eyes peeled readers as this will not be a story to miss. _

Blaise couldn't believe his eyes. He was going to be sick. How dare his parents keep something like this from him. He stood up, got on his broom and flew back to his house in record time. All the while, Draco looked on amused. He decided that it was best to leave him with his family. So he finished the apple and fly off to Theo's house to tell him and Daphne the news.

Blaise dismounted in the front courtyard, where his father was tending to a rose bush. His family, although wealthy and could afford gardeners, sometimes liked to do the gardening themselves. Blaise marched up to his father and threw the newspaper in his face.

'When were you going to tell me that I had a sister? Not just any sister, a twin as a matter of fact.' He yelled at his father. Roberto sighed, put down his secateurs and took off his gloves.

'Son, you had better follow me.' He said and walked into the mansion up to the study where his wife was currently reading a book. She looked up at them when they walked in, Roberto nodded at her look and she put the book down. 'Son, please sit.' Blaise sat down on the lounge and his parents stood in front of him. His mother then spoke.

'Blaise, we are sorry you had to find out this way. Please don't be mad at us, we only did what we had to do at the time. You see, when you and Eleanora were born, it was a terrible time to be a young girl in wizarding society. We had just started getting out of the dark circles and we weren't liked very much then by anyone. Keeping Eleanora would have put her in such a high-risk to danger and even death. We couldn't risk it. We gave her to this lovely muggle couple who couldn't have children. You must understand we did it so she could live.' Valentina explained. Blaise sat and contemplated what she had said. He had a twin but she was given up so she could live a better life. It made sense. But he was still annoyed that they kept the information from him.

'Ok, but how come the records are only finding out about this now?' He asked. His father continued to explain.

'Ah, this is where your mother's genius comes into play. She placed a concealment charm on the birth certificate so it would only show up as another fake child until her 18th birthday, at which date it would lose its effect and become Eleanora's again. We were going to find her, but then the war happened, and we couldn't find that couple. They must have moved away. We also have no idea what she looks like because we put a glamour on her as a baby. But the archives found the certificate before we could tell you about her and find her.' Roberto explained. 'But now that you know, it is high time we figure out where she is.'

'Il amore mio! (My Love!)' His wife suddenly exclaimed over him. 'We don't even know if she is in the wizarding world.'

The floo network suddenly went off in the ballroom. All three of them went to investigate. Who could be visiting them at this time of day? When they reached the ballroom, a soot covered girl with frizzy hair brushed herself off as she stepped out of the fireplace. The three Zabini's stood there in shock. She raised her head carefully and gave a weak smile. Blaise was the first to speak.

'Blimey Hermione. What are you doing here?'


	3. Like Parent, Like Child

**Hey y'all. I hope you're liking this story so far. It is my first Fan Fiction story so if you do review please take it easy on me. I intend this story to be about 30+ chapters and I will be regularly updating it when I get the chance. Anyway, please enjoy. **

**Chapter 2 **

Hermione had apparated straight to St Mungo's Hospital after she left the Ministry. She needed to set the record straight. There was no way she could be Eleanora Zabini. Could she? She kept telling herself it wasn't possible. It was merely a coincidence. But she couldn't help but feel uncertain about it. She walked up to the nurse at the front desk to ask for a parentage test. The nurse gave her a strange look but told her to wait in the pathology wing waiting room. There was no one in the waiting room apart from a man who looked so pale. She sighed in relief and was thankful and didn't have to deal with many other people. She stared at the man. He was paler than Malfoy and that was saying something. The ferret was extremely pale. She chuckled to herself at the thought. Hermione had to admit that it was a strange feeling knowing that her parents, or who she thought were her parents, may have lied to her all her life. Her whole existence could have been a lie. What was she going to tell the Weasleys and Harry if she was a Zabini? She knew most of the Weasleys would be shocked but would eventually accept it, but Ron? He had always been jealous of the attention she got for her intelligence and if she were a pureblood too, it might make him tip over the edge. She bit her lip. Harry. Bless him. She wasn't sure what he'd make of the whole situation. Oh lord, what about Blaise? He would hate it. Then Malfoy. She internally groaned. He has called her a mudblood for how long now? He'd have to apologise. She was dreading that conversation. She was getting ahead of herself. She didn't even know the results yet. She took a deep calm breathe. It will all be ok. She reminded herself of all that she had done. All her achievements. A small pathology test wouldn't harm her. Her mind was still whirling and she felt sick to her stomach. She rocked back and forth nervously as she waited to be called in. Half an hour to three quarters of an hour later, a young pathologist called her in.

'Now Hermione, I understand you want to do a parentage test?' The kind, blond man of about 26 asked. Hermione nodded in response. She looked at his name tag. George. 'I won't ask why but be careful. You're in the public eye and if the reporters caught on to this, they would have a field day. So, I will make sure this stays between us.' George smiled at her and took the samples to be tested. He left the room and Hermione sat in the office rocking back and forth again. She was nervous. What if she was a Zabini? What would that mean for her? The doctor came back about fifteen minutes later with a frown on his face.

'What seems to be the problem, doc?' She asked, chastising herself for sounding so cliché.

'Well, Miss Granger, it seems you are actually a pureblood witch.' George said, looking up from his clipboard. 'In fact, your blood has detected strong connections to the Zabini family.' Hermione looked at her feet. So that was it. She was no longer a Granger. She was, indeed, Eleanora. 'Hermione? Are you ok?' The doctor asked. 'I know this must be a huge shock to you. If you need me to refer you to anyone, like a counsellor or something, please let me know. As I said before, this is strictly confidential.' He stuck out his hand to shake hers and gave her the official paperwork before walking her to the door. She was in shock.

What was she going to do now? She couldn't go back to her so-called parents. Now she really wished she'd been able to reverse the memory charm she had placed on them. But unfortunately, when she had gone to Australia to reverse it, the false memory charm was too powerful and had somehow erased their memory entirely. So, she had just left them as Wendell and Monica Wilkins. She wondered why the Zabinis had given her away to the Grangers in the first place. She supposed that she had ought to go see them soon. But she couldn't deal with a confrontational today. She ran her hand through her tangled mane and sighed. It had been a long day. She decided the best thing to do was to go home and sleep. She apparated to her flat in muggle London and collapsed on her bed into an unrestful sleep. Nothing was ever going to be quite the same.

It was 9:00am before she woke. Her head was pounding from the news she was given yesterday. She rolled over and the sun streamed in onto her face. She groaned.

_Well then, Hermione. Better start your day._

As if she was on clockwork, she rolled out of bed and groggily went to the bathroom to see the tear stains down her face. Oh great, she had cried in her sleep again. She turned the shower on and washed the sleep out of her body. Ten minutes later she went downstairs to see her morning paper had been delivered. The owl was sitting on the windowsill helping himself to a treat. She made a coffee and then unfolded it. She perused the paper fairly quickly only taking in the articles which interested her.

**AZKABAN GAINS MORE DEATHEATERS -**She read that one

**NEW CREATURE UNVEILED BY SCAMANDER INDUSTRIES –** She briefly scanned this one

**FLORISH AND BLOTTS COUPON –** Pocketed this one for later

**DIVINATION COLUMN - **She skipped this one

**ZABINI FAMILY SECRET EXPOSED **– She spat out her coffee

She could feel the anger bubbling up inside her when she read who had written the article. Rita Skeeter. She thought she was done with making her life a misery. I mean she knew she hadn't mentioned that it was Hermione who had discovered the secret but still. The woman had no sense of respect for anyone's privacy. Well, that's it. Hermione decided. She would have to go visit the Zabinis today before anyone found out more. But first she had better stop by the Weasleys and apologise for not showing up for dinner. By the time she was dressed and at the Weasleys, it was half past ten. Harry greeted her at the door.

'Hiya Hermione. What happened to you yesterday?' He asked and gave her a hug on the way in.

'Hi Harry. Yeah sorry about that. I was so tired after Shacklebolt sent me to the Ministry, I just went home and fell asleep.' She lied. She wouldn't tell them what she found out just yet. They walked into the living room to find Ron snogging Lavender.

'Oh, oops. Harry I think we walked into the wrong room. I didn't know this was your bedroom Ron. I like what you've done with it. Much better than those Chudley Cannons posters.' She smirked at Harry who just chuckled. Ron glared at her and poked out his tongue. She rolled her eyes. 'Oh, very mature, Ron.' Ron moved Lavender off his lap and stood up to talk to his friends. Lavender walked out of the room muttering about finding Ginny.

'Hermione. Where the bloody hell were you last night? Mum was worried sick about you. We all were. I suggested we send a search party but yeah Fred played an epic prank on Bill and we all kind of forgot.' He said sheepishly.

'Gee, thanks Ron. You really know how to make a girl feel like you care.' Hermione joked. 'No, I just was so tired after Shacklebolt sent me to Ministry that I went home and slept. Sorry I didn't send a message.' Mrs. Weasley walked up behind her.

'Oh, that is quite alright dear. You did give us a little fright though.' She moved about the room cleaning up and they stood there watching her for a few seconds before Ron cleared his throat.

'So anyway, Fred's prank?' He asked and led them up to his room.

It was about another two hours before Hermione released herself from the Weasley's house. Her nerves had started to build again. She felt for her bag and papers. They were still there. She wondered how she was going to get to the Zabini mansion. From memory, they were Italian, and apparition didn't seem safe. She supposed she could try the floo network. If it didn't work then she would fly to Italy and apparate from there. She was shaking by the time she reached the fireplace in her flat. She took a deep breath.

_Ok girl. You can do this. _

She took another deep breath and threw the floo powder into the fire.

'Zabini Manor' She shouted and felt the familiar pull of the floo network on her body. When she landed 10 seconds later, she ended up on the floor and covered in soot. She steadied herself and was beginning to wipe the soot off herself when she noticed three people walk into the room. She stopped instantly and looked up at her recently discovered family. She gave a weak smile.

'Blimey Hermione, what are you doing here?' Blaise asked her. She took a few moments to look at her parents. Her father was a very well-built man, dark skinned, with black hair and a matching moustache he could twirl and was wearing trousers and a long sleeve shirt. She had been expecting a suit but she shrugged it off. She looked to her mother. She looked more refined and elegant in a long casual gown, her honey brown waves cascading off her shoulders and had striking green eyes, her skin matching her husbands. Then she looked at Blaise. He hadn't changed from what she remembered. However, he was wearing a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt.

He asked her again. 'Granger, what are you doing here?' Hermione shook her head and had to remind herself what she was actually doing there. She cleared her throat.

'Well, you see. I took a parentage test.' She said. 'It would seem that I am your daughter.' Blaise fainted on the floor, Valentina and Roberto looked on in amusement. Like parent, like child.

'I'm sorry. Why are you looking so amused?' Hermione asked.

'Oh dear, don't worry. The way you explained that was just very much like how a Zabini would explain it. Very blunt and to the point. Oh dear, I think Blaise is in shock. Hang on, let me just call an elf to help him. Sandy, could you come here please.' Suddenly a little house elf with a plum purple bow and matching dress popped out of nowhere.

'What can I do for you mistress?' The elf asked and bowed to the lady of the house.

'Could you please take Blaise to his bed and check to see if he is ok. He seems to have fainted. Thank you.' Lady Zabini asked in a matter of fact tone and turned her attention away from the elf back to the girl in front of her.

'Yes mistress. Right away mistress. Anything you say mistress.' The elf clicked her fingers and levitated Blaise out of the room. Hermione stood there absolutely stunned. They had free elves. It turns out she might not even know this family at all.

'Now, Hermione is it?' Her father asked and she nodded for him to continue. 'How do we know you are not here to just stake a claim in our fortune?' Hermione knew she was being tested.

'Mr. Zabini, I would not be here if I had not found Eleanora's birth certificate. You see, I know her middle name is Hermione. I know her birthday is September 19th. Which happens to be my birthday. I know she is Blaise's twin and I know she is alive. All that could have come from the paper this morning. But I also have evidence that Eleanora is the girl that you are currently staring at because I have a parentage test results with me.' She pulled out the papers and handed them to Lord and Lady Zabini, who looked them over. 'I grew up with muggle parents. Their names were Roger and Jean Granger.' At the mentioning of her parents' names, both of them looked at her then at each other. They looked at her again and opened their arms to her.

'Eleanora, you've finally come home to us.' Her mother said.

When she ran into their arms, she finally felt at peace. She felt whole. She was home.


	4. Promises and Prophecies

**A note about the previous chapter. The only thing I made different from the end of the Battle of Hogwarts was that I made sure Fred and George were both still alive. It isn't critical to the story but just so you know. Anyway, here is part 3. Hope you enjoy.**

**Chapter 3**

A few hours later, Blaise woke up with a blinding headache and he suddenly remembered why. He found out he had a sister. A twin sister and that twin sister also happened to be bloody Hermione Granger. He groaned out loud. Just my luck. Little Miss Know-It-All with her perfect friends and her perfect life. He stopped himself. But then again. It could be fun messing with Granger. Now he had an excuse to make fun of her and to not get into too much trouble because after all, he was her brother. He smirked a Malfoy worthy smirk and got up to have a shower. Then he would have a little fun with his sister.

Ten minutes later, Blaise walked down the stairs where he found his parents and sister sitting on the lounge in the formal living room.

_They're yet to remove the glamour. I see. _

He took a deep breath, cleared his throat and entered the room in a overly dramatic manner. 'Ah, Eleanora, lovely for you to finally grace us with your presence.' He pulled her up from the lounge and gave her a hug, nearly squeezing the life out of her and whispered in her ear. 'It is on, sorella.' He gave her a wink and a glare and then turned to his parents. 'So, what have you people been talking about?' He turned and sat on the lounge next to his newfound sister.

'Well, Blaise. We were talking about what to do with Ellie's situation. We know she lives in muggle London at the moment but we were asking her if she would like to move in here.' His mother said. Blaise looked at Granger or Hermione or Eleanora or Ellie. Merlin. He was confused as to what to call her now. He smirked when he got an idea.

'Oh really? And what did…Elles…say?' He emphasised Elles and couldn't help but grin at the cringe his sister gave. When she didn't answer, he continued. 'Well? Come one Elles. What do you say? It might be fun having a big brother around.' His parents coughed.

'Well actually Blaise, you were born after Ellie. 4 minutes after actually.' His father said. Blaise blushed in the awkwardness of the situation. He could hear snickering next to him and he kicked the source and was satisfied when it took a sharp inhalation. He controlled his emotions before he went to speak again.

'Well then. It still will be fun having a brother around Elles. Please say you'll stay.' She sighed in resignation realising she was fighting a losing battle when she saw the pleading looks for the three people in front of her.

'Alright. I will come stay with you. But I've still got to tell my friends what has happened and I'm not sure how they'll react to all of this. I'm not sure they'll accept all of this.' She pointed at herself to make the point. She turned to Blaise. 'Don't expect me to be all chummy with your friends either Blaise. Most of them made my life a living hell for the past 6 years and forgiving them won't come easy.'

Blaise nodded in response. Good she was going to stay after all. He was going to have so much fun. 'Good as long as you don't expect me to be chummy with Weasel and Potter either. I can handle them being around but I won't be talking to them.' Blaise stuck his hand out to shake Hermione's hand and she took it. 'Now, can we please take the glamour charm off? I'm dying to know what my real sister looks like.'

His mother got Elles to stand up and follow her to the centre of the room. She pointed her wand at the crown of her head and muttered the counter charm. All of a sudden, Hermione's body morphed. Three simultaneous gasps came from around the room. A fourth came a moment later when an elf, wearing the same outfit as Sandy but this time in sky blue, walked in the door carrying a tray of tea. She placed the tray on the table.

'Oh, my dear, Ellie. You are beautiful. Just like your mother.' Lord Zabini got up to twirl his daughter around. Then he called for the elf. 'Jackie, please fetch a mirror so Ellie can look at herself.'

'Yes master. Right away master. Anything you say master.' In a click of Jackie's fingers, a full-length mirror appeared against the wall. The elf then disappeared. Blaise stared at his sister, unable to comprehend what had just happened to buck toothed Granger who was standing there a moment ago. The girl had long, silky, brown locks that cascaded like waves down her back. Her face was speckled with tiny freckles and her skin became a slightly darker shade. Her eyes remained the same but Blaise only just noticed them. They were like pools of honey. One could drown in them all day if they looked too much. Her body had hardly changed. But it didn't matter because she looked amazing. Blaise knew, right then and there. He was going to have trouble with guys.

'Elles, you look incredible.' He noticed that she had stopped cringing at the nickname. Drat. He would have to find another thing to annoy her. He stood behind her in the mirror and nearly freaked out. She was the female version of him. Suddenly, Jackie the elf appeared at the door once more.

'Master, Mister Malfoy is here to see you.' The elf bowed to Roberto and he excused himself to greet Lucius. 'Mister Blaise, Mister Draco is also here to see you.' All of a sudden, Draco burst through the door.

'I think I know my way around here, Sandy. It's not like I haven't been friends with Blaise since we were kids. I don't need an escort.' Ellie and Blaise giggled as he walked in through the door in a flustered manner. Draco looked up at the sudden noise. He glared at Blaise and then softened when he saw Ellie. He looked stunned for a moment before he spoke. 'Oh hello. I'm sorry. I didn't know Blaise had company. If I had known I wouldn't have been so undignified. But seriously, I was just man handled by an elf. Who are you?' He enquired, a hint of curiosity in his voice. Draco had spoken quite quickly, he was evidently nervous and it made Blaise feel quite amused.

'Ah, Draco. This is Eleanora. Or as I like to call her Elles.' Ah the cringe was back. Point to Blaise.

'Eleanora? As in your sister? I thought the papers were joking. Nice to meet you.' He held out his hand for her to shake it but as soon as she took it, he rolled it over to kiss it. Ellie flinched and pulled her hand back.

'And you're Draco Malfoy. I know who you are.' Ellie said a hint of disdain in her voice.

_Ooo, this is going to be fun. _

'Have we met before?' He asked. Blaise stood back and wondered if he should conjure up some popcorn for the show.

'Yes, Malfoy we have.' She said and folded her arms across her chest.

'Really? Surely I would've remembered a person as beautiful as you.' God Malfoy was a flirt. Blaise had to hold back a dry retch and saw that Elles had done the same. He smirked. They were already twinning and it hadn't been 24 hours yet. There was still hope for her yet. He took this moment to cut in. He cleared his throat again.

'Uh, Draco. Elles here was under a glamour charm before she came back to us. Turns out she grew up and went to school with us.' Blaise said, trying not to give too much away. 'She wasn't a fan either.' He muttered under his breath. Luckily it went unnoticed by either of them.

'Really, and just who were before Ellie?' Blaise stood back to watch the show unfold in front of him again.

'That is for me to know and you to find out. Preferably slowly and painfully. The same way you did things when you bullied me at school.' Blaise nearly choked on himself. Damn, Elles really knew how to hit someone with the guilt. Malfoy was getting slaughtered here. He made a mental note never to get on her bad side again. Draco winced, took a moment to compose himself and then began to explain.

'Right. So, I bullied you. Well I'm really sorry, Ellie. Any of the comments I made to you were probably only for appearances sake.' He began pacing back and forth, wringing his hands with nerves. Draco was never good at hiding emotion.'You see, I had a reputation to upkeep and my father forced all his blood supremacy ideals upon me. If I disobeyed, I would have been in big trouble. Then the whole thing with Voldemort happened and it was all my father's fault for getting me involved in that. He forced me to take the mark. All I ever wanted was a family like yours and Blaise's. Parents who cared and didn't get involved in dark and illegal stuff. But not all of us are so lucky. Don't get me wrong. I love my mother. But my father was always too involved with investments and the dark lord to care. So, I'm really sorry and I hope one day you may forgive me, Ellie.' Blaise sobered up. Well, that was a change of direction. Suddenly, messing with her wasn't so fun anymore. Draco had a heart. Where the hell did that come from? He looked at Draco. His eyes had a genuine look about them, was that a glint of hopefulness he saw in his eye? It was gone a moment later. He then turned to look at Elles. She looked conflicted. She was frowning and biting her lip, unsure of what to say. A few more seconds of contemplation and she had made up her mind. She took a deep breath and spoke quite timidly.

'My name was Hermione Granger.'

(Draco POV)

Ten seconds later Blaise shuffled him out the door and down the hallway. When they were out of ear shot, he attacked Blaise.

'What the hell man? You mean to say your sister is Hermione bloody Granger? How did I not see this coming? Wait no. Of course, it is her. Ellie's middle name is Hermione. How did I not put two and two together? Her birthday is also your birthday. It all makes bloody sense.' He spoke very quickly without taking a breath. All the while, Blaise just stood there smirking.

'So…, Draco. I know Hermione takes your breath away but are you going to breathe or what?' That earned him a glare. What did he know about his strained relationship with Granger? 'Well? What do you have to say about it? Can you at least be civil with her? She is my sister mate.' He asked. Draco considered his options. He could either try to be civil with Granger or he could just stop coming around. He sighed. He couldn't do that to his best mate. He only had one option as far as he could see.

'Alright, I will try and be civil.' Draco said. Blaise began to drag him back up the hallway but stopped mid-way.

'Draco, if you ever lay one finger on her and she does not want it, so help me god or I will murder you.' He said and gave Draco a murderous look. Draco considered his options again. He would gladly never touch Hermione Granger again but Eleanora? Well, she was one of the most beautiful girls he'd ever seen. He couldn't believe Eleanora and Hermione were the same person. It was going to be difficult to keep himself in check. But he nodded his head.

'You have my word Blaise; I won't do anything that will hurt her.' Blaise, taking this line as a promise to his oath, began dragging him up the hallway again. When they reached the room, Blaise went straight over to his sister who was still looking at herself in the mirror.

'So, la mia sorella più grande (my big sister), when are you going to move in?' Blaise asked. Draco looked between the new siblings as they started to bond. From that moment, Draco knew. Nothing was going to be the same again.

Meanwhile, no one had noticed Valentina who had been watching the whole situation. She backed out the door quietly and went to find her husband and Lord Malfoy, a plan already formulating in her head.

That night, back in Scotland, deep within the Forbidden Forest, something mysterious was a foot. A council of hooded people and what appeared to be their horses gathered around a pit. One hooded figure stepped forward and slammed a walking stick to the ground. Suddenly, a giant fire roared and began emitting embers of deep red and green from within the pit. The sudden force of the fire made many of those present, step back cautiously. The hooded figure who had conjured the fire pulled out a bag of dust and threw it into the fire and waited until the picture appeared. Then she addressed the others.

'Fellow brothers and sisters. The time has come. The prophecy has been enacted. Those who dare gaze into the fire will see that the girl has returned home. Praise the almighty one.' An exclamation of praise erupted from almost everyone in attendance. The figure whistled to quiet everyone and then she continued. 'I need two people. Two brave people to help guide the girl to her destiny. The job will not be for the faint of the heart. The girl is head strong and won't be easy to sway.'

She stood there a moment waiting for anyone to step forward.

'What, no one? Oh how the stars will be disappointed in all of you.' She turned back to the fire. A moment later, two figures stepped towards the apparent superior one. When they approached she addressed them both.

'Ah, we have volunteers. Theo. Daphne. My brave son and daughter. You have chosen to step forth into the great unknown to accept this challenge. It will not be an easy task and you must take it knowing as such.' She stopped and turned. 'Do you Theodore Nott and do you Daphne Greengrass, accept this challenge and do all in your inner eye power to bring honour to us all?' She shouted for all to hear.

'We solemnly swear to do so.' They both agreed. The superior one smiled at them from under her hood.

'It is with great honour that I bestow all my blessings and good wishes to you both. May you bring greatness to the world. May you bring greatness to the covenant of seers. May you bring us honour. Go my children. Guide the girl towards her destiny.' She placed both her hands on their shoulders and a sudden glow appeared around them. The glow was short lived however for a few moments later, she let them go and they stepped back into the ranks.

The superior one then turned to address everyone else there. 'As for the rest of you. Be you a centaur or wizard. It is up to you to make sure nothing stops this girl from her destiny. Make sure no harm shall befall her. She is our only hope. No harm shall befall Eleanora Hermione Zabini.'


	5. Decisions and Delusions

**Chapter 4**

Ellie was still trying to wrap her head around everything. It was going so fast. She told Blaise that she needed time to sort everything in her life out. She couldn't very well just disappear to Italy to live with a well-known, pureblood, socialite family. It would raise suspicion. He understood what she had meant and told her to take all the time she needed. He had excused himself about half an hour ago to go deal with Draco and had said he would be back to talk it through. Now as she stood in front of the mirror, marvelling at how different she looked, she wondered if she was making the right decision. She had been living a lie her entire life. Now that she was here and that she had discovered her true identity, she couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right. It just didn't seem right that she was just leaving the old Hermione behind her. She had been through so much. With school. With the war. What would her friends say now? There was no way she could show up looking like this. They would flip. How could they ever believe her? How could they trust her? The story was so wild, it still even confused her and she was the smartest witch of her time. She pulled up her sleeve to unveil the heinous mark Bellatrix had left on her. So, the glamour hadn't changed that. She cringed as she ran her finger of the word mudblood that was etched into her skin. She could still feel the pain as if it had happened yesterday. She had been so focused on staring at the mark that she didn't notice Lucius Malfoy walk into the room.

'My wife's sister was always a horrible bint of a woman.' He said startling her. 'Sorry to startle you Eleanora, but I had to come see for myself. The mudblood who turned pure.' When he saw her stunned face, he waved his wand at the doors locking them. 'Yes. You may have changed your looks, but don't think that now because you're a pureblood, I'm all of a sudden going to change my attitude towards you. You helped Mr. Potter defeat the Dark Lord. You took everything I once had. I've had to work very hard to maintain my place in society after your lot tarnished my reputation. It may have taken a month, but I'm finally back on track now.' He paced around the room running his fingers along surfaces as he went. Ellie started to get nervous and began formulating a way to escape. However, he must have read her mind. 'Don't even think about trying to escape, my girl. The doors are locked and although I have no doubt that you are smart, you have no idea what dark magic I just used to seal them. You should be grateful that I haven't murdered you on the spot. However, seeing as you are my sister of my son's best friend and given Roberto and I have just come to a rather marvellous agreement, it would be highly inappropriate for me to do so.' Ellie didn't like where this was going. She started to back down towards the door. Maybe he was bluffing and it was just a simple lock charm. She severely doubted it, but what choice did she have.

'What do you want from me, Mr. Malfoy?' She asked. He launched himself at her as she reached the door behind her, clasping his hand around her neck and lifting her off the floor.

'Now, you listen to me, you royal pain. As much as I disliked the way Bellatrix handled things in my drawing room, you still deserve to be punished. You know what we did to girls back when our lord was in power? Little girls who had the indecency to defy us. If you dare step over the line, I will not hesitate to cause you so much pain you will beg for your death. Now if you know what is good for you, you will be a good girl and stay in your place or I will see to it that you rot in hell. Is that clear?' He let her go, making her fall onto the floor with a thud.

'Crystal.' She choked out, gasping for air.

'That's a good girl. Remember Granger, you stay in your place or you will know or rather feel the consequences.' He smirked, kicked her and unlocked the doors. 'Now to find that wretched son of mine. The boy is proving to be a pain, much like you.' He laughed evilly and walked out the door without even giving her one last glance.

Ellie shivered and sat up. She felt around her neck where Lucius had grabbed her. She didn't know if she could do this. The war had taken its' toll on her. Voldermort seemed such a less horrible threat to what she was dealing with now. Lucius was a cunning man. She had to take this threat seriously. Now that she was in his circles it opened the door up to more opportunities where she could get hurt.

_Evidently, he just nearly choked you to death in your own living room._

During the war, although death was a common consequence, no one had openly threatened to kill her. Maybe an unspoken threat, but not like this. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms. She hated this feeling. She couldn't do this. She needed to get out now. As much as she wanted a family and wanted to believe that she belonged there, she just couldn't risk another moment knowing that her life was in constant danger. She had to get back to Harry. She had to get back to the Weasley's. She would be safe there. This was a mistake. She slowly rose to her feet and quickly made her way over to the desk under the window, grabbed a piece of paper and began writing to her family.

_Dear Mum, Dad and Blaise,  
When you read this, I will be long gone. This was a mistake. I'm sorry. I know I came to you, but this is all too much. I needed to leave. I wanted to believe I could be happy here, but I'm not sure it is even possible. Blaise, I know you mentioned to me that you had always wanted a sister. I will always be grateful that you decided to let go of those prejudices you once held in order to let me be that for you. However, I can not stay here. My life is in London as Hermione. I just can't leave that behind. Please, I hope you understand. _

_Love your Eleanora  
A.K.A. Hermione _

She looked up and stared out into the olive groves. She could have loved living here. She sighed, took one last longing look out the window and turned away. She walked over to the fireplace and placed the letter onto the mantel. She then replaced the glamour charm, threw some floo powder into the fire and flooed back to England. Eleanora was no more.

(Blaise POV)

Draco had just left, quite reluctantly with his father, when he heard the floo system in the house. He raced up to the living room to see it empty. Elles had left the room. She probably went to explore. Bloody know-it-all. He was about to go search for her when he saw the glint of white paper on the mantel. It was a letter addressed to his family. Opening it immediately and beginning to read, realisation washed over him with every word he read. She was gone. His sister was gone. He sank to the ground. But this wasn't what he wanted. Sure, he had messed with her a little bit, but that was just because he could. He read the letter again.

_I will always be grateful that you let go of those prejudices you once had…_

Not exactly true, but he had welcomed her into the family because he had wanted the chance to be a brother. So, given what she wrote that couldn't have been why she left. Something must have happened. But what? He sat and pondered that thought. He gasped. No, surely not. Mum and dad would hardly ever let him into the room with her by himself, would they? Maybe they didn't know. But he wouldn't know until he asked her. He knew he had to go find her. He wouldn't let their parents know about this. Not until he had answers. He pocketed the letter and quickly went over to the desk to scribble a letter.

_Mum and Dad,  
Elles and I went to London for a couple of days to sort out some stuff. We will be back soon.  
Blaise_

He stood back and read his work. There, that should cover it. Satisfied with the letter, he folded it into an envelope and placed it on the mantel. He thought about who he could go to in London. No, he couldn't go to Draco's. His father would be suspicious. Besides he was suspect number one. A second later, he got it. Theo's would be perfect. He had been meaning to visit him and Daphne anyway. Blaise threw a handful of floo powder into the fire and yelled. 'Nott Manor.' Two seconds later, he was gone.

Upon his arrival at Nott's house, he saw that Daphne was in the sitting room. The tall, blond girl was sitting in the window seat, reading a book when he emerged from the fireplace. She turned to see him and smiled.

'Blaise, what are you doing here? Theo and I were going to come see you tomorrow.' Daphne smiled and came to greet him with a hug.

'Daphne, you're a seer right?' He asked. She nodded in response. He didn't answer her, walked past, rubbing his face and pulling a hand through his hair. He sat down on a loveseat and she suddenly got concerned.

'Blaise, tell me what's wrong.' Daphne came and sat down next to him. She put her hands on his shoulders to comfort him.

'Daph, tell me. Can you see anything in my future?' He said to her. She laughed lightly.

'Blaise, you know it doesn't work like that.' She replied. 'Tell me. Why do you ask? Is this about what I saw in the paper this morning?' Blaise sighed in relief. Good. She knew about Ellie then.

'Yes. You see. Elles, as in Eleanora, came by today.' Man, he was struggling to get this out. Daphne gave him a look to encourage him to go on. 'She said she wanted to be part of the family.'

'Well that's good isn't it? You'll finally have what you've always wanted.' She said, continuing to rub his shoulders. 'Blaise, what aren't you telling me?' God. He knew he couldn't keep anything from Daph.

'Eleanora…she is…Hermione Granger.' He blurted out. Daphne started to giggle.

'Is that all you're worried about, Blaise? I find that hardly surprising given all the coincidences. Theo and I figured as much this morning when we read the paper. I mean come on her middle name is Hermione. How popular can that name be?' She stood up and took him by the hand. 'Come, Theo is in the study.' They walked through the cold, dreary halls of Nott Manor. Pictures of old relatives lined the walls, most of them asleep, but they moved ever so slightly every now and then. The pin-striped wallpaper was moulding and ripped in several places. Theo Nott Senior was dead, so Blaise couldn't understand why they hadn't redecorated.

'You very well know why we haven't redecorated, Blaise.' Daph said with a smirk as they got to the study door.

'What have I told you about using legilimency on me Daph? Don't make me use occlumency. It's been a rough day.' Blaise said and he walked on through. Theo looked up through his reading glasses and abandoned the paperwork on his desk when he saw who had walked in.

'Ah, Blaise. Good to see you. We were coming to see you tomorrow.' Theo stood and gave Blaise a man hug. 'What can we do for you?'

'You see, this is about my sister.' Theo's face became stern.

'Go on.' Theo said and led them to the lounge. Blaise told them everything about his sister being Hermione, how she interacted with Draco, how they had left the room and the letter he had found when he got back.

'So, what do you plan on doing now?' They asked him. Blaise wasn't sure what he was going to do. He had no idea where she lived, he couldn't ask Potter and Weasel as they'd probably hex him into oblivion. They had no idea Hermione was Ellie. He had really screwed up and it was the first day on brother duty.

_God, good job Blaise, this is really productive, think._

'Well I have to find Ellie. Or Hermione. Whoever she is right now. But I have no idea where she'd be.' The three of them sat, puzzling over Hermione's whereabouts for a few more minutes before Daphne stood up.

'In the meantime, I will set up your room Blaise.' She left the two men to ponder again.

Theo and his girlfriend, Daphne had both moved into Nott Manor after the war. She and Theo had long lost any feelings of blood supremacy. Theo's family were all gone but Daphne had been cut off from her family for switching sides before the war and she was much happier for it. However, the elderly Nott man, had left nothing to them and they were living on near to nothing, saving every galleon, sickle or knut they could get their hands on. They had to learn to do things by themselves. It was a huge wake up call for two purebloods who had had everything handed to them on a silver platter. Theo had applied for many jobs but given his reputation to fall into incomprehensible prophecies unwillingly at any time, he hadn't been so successful. Daphne and Theo both had the eye for divination. Blaise had once mocked them both for that, but when one of their prophecies about death eaters taking over Hogwarts became true, he started to believe them and stopped making fun.

'You're free to stay here for as long as you would like, Blaise. Daphne and I do have to be somewhere tonight, but we will be back later. You've had a long day. You need to get some rest mate. We will figure out a plan tomorrow.' Theo offered him a smile, gave him a light pat on the back and led him out of the room. They walked down the hall to the room where Daphne was setting up. 'In other news, Headmistress McGonagall has given both Daphne and I scholarships to come back and complete our final year at Hogwarts.' Blaise's face lit up when he knew two of his best friends would be attending school with him when it opened up again in September.

'Really, that is great news. I'm so happy for you both.' They both smiled warmly at him.

'If you need anything, there is limited food in the kitchen, but please help yourself to any of it, if you want. Theo has spare changes of clothes, there are clean towels in the cupboard across the hall and we will be back by midnight.' Daphne offered.

'Yes mother. I will be sure to be in bed asleep by 8pm as well. When does the babysitter get here?' Blaise smirked. His remark earned him a playful slap from Daphne. Theo chuckled.

'Glad to see this news hasn't broken your sense of humour, mate. Anyway, we will leave you to it.' Daphne and Theo walked out the door, closing it behind them. Blaise heard them muttering amongst themselves as they walked down the hallway. He sighed. They truly were good people and he was grateful for their hospitality.

He walked over and threw himself onto the bed. He let out a groan. Why couldn't his life be simple? Just when he felt like life was perfect, the world had to screw things up for him every time. His sister was out there somewhere, probably scared for her life, feeling so confused with nowhere to run. All he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and tell her everything would be ok. That he and his parents would protect her. Even if she was Hermione Granger. He started to believe that he really didn't mind that it was her anymore. She could hold an intellectually stimulating conversation, she could handle the banter, she wasn't annoying. Well, he guessed not too annoying. Only when she was answering questions. At least it wasn't someone like Lavender Brown or Pansy Parkinson. He shuddered at the thought and rolled himself over to rest against the pillow. Yeah. Hermione would be a good sister. He sighed and looked around the room he had stayed in many times before. Nothing had changed. It just looked more weathered.

_Like everything since the war. _

He sighed again and turned to look out the window. It had started to rain. Great another thing to add to his crappy mood. He lied there, watching the raindrops slide ever so slowly down the windowpane. He could feel his eyes drooping more and more as time went on.

'Where are you Elles?' He muttered before succumbing to sleep.


	6. Explanations and Unexpected Visits

**Chapter 5**

Hermione woke up early the next day feeling, strangely, a lot better about herself. She wasn't sure if it was to do with the fifteen protection spells she had cast on her apartment last night or whether she was just truly happy being at home. She was wondering how she would go about telling the Weasleys and Harry. She had missed yet another dinner and she was sure the family would be ready to send out a search party by now. She couldn't lie again. She was horrible at lying and they would know something was up. As if on cue, Hermione heard a knock at her door. She sighed, shook her head and rolled out of bed to answer the door.

When she opened it, Harry was on the other side. She flung her arms around him and gave him a hug. At first, he was shocked at the sudden hug but reciprocated it none the less.

'Hermione, what's wrong? This is the second time you've missed dinner with us. It's not like you to be this way. Also, what's with all the protection spells? I had to bust through them to get to your door. Seriously, what's happened?' He asked. Hermione's eyes suddenly became wet with tears and she began to sob. Harry began running his hands over her back in soothing circles. He backed them up into her apartment and closed the door behind them to prevent any embarrassment. 'Hermione come on. I'm your best friend. What is this all about?'

She took a few moments to calm her breathing and control her sobbing before trying to speak. 'Oh Harry, I'm not sure if you'd believe me even if I tried to explain.' She said wiping her face and pulling out of his embrace.

'You'll never know if you don't try.' He said pulling her over to her lounge and forcing her to sit with him. 'Now, start from the beginning. What happened when you were at the Ministry?' He asked, placing his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. She took a deep breath.

_Well here goes nothing._

'When I got to the archives, the receptionist was in a bit of a tizzy. She had dropped a large stack of birth certificates and they had gone everywhere. Well, I couldn't just leave her to pick them up by herself, so I went to help. I came across a birth certificate which I found very odd. It was for that Zabini girl which I'm sure you read about in the paper yesterday. Rita had been spying on me. I was the source of the information.' She stopped and looked up at Harry, hoping that he would guess what she was trying to say.

'Blimey Hermione. What are you trying to say?' He asked, confusion was written all over his face.

She continued. 'Well, I investigated deeper and found out that she was born on the same day as me, her middle name was Hermione and she was still alive.' She took a deep breath. 'So, I took a parentage test.' Harry stopped her right there.

'What the hell, Hermione? You couldn't have possibly thought that she was you, could you? It is so ridiculous. Your parents are muggles. Remember? Why would a pureblood family give up their child to a pair of muggles? It makes no sense.' He was ranting. She cut him off again.

'Please, let me finish Harry. I took the test because there were too many coincidences to ignore. When I took the test, the doctor told me I was pureblood and I had strong connections to the Zabini family. It didn't make sense. I felt dizzy and had to go home and sleep it off. I would go and find out what was going on later, when I could clear my head. So, that's why I missed the first dinner. But then the article came out and I needed to find out the truth before anyone else could, so I flooed to their mansion. I told them I believed I was their daughter. They were shocked, to say the least, but all the evidence was there Harry.' She began to break down again.

'Let me get this straight. You took a parentage test which proved you are pureblood. A Zabini nonetheless. So, you went to confront them. That could have been dangerous Hermione. You have no idea what they are capable of. They're pureblood socialites. There's no saying what they could've done.' He paused. 'That's not all is it?' Hermione shook her head.

'Once they realised that I was their daughter, they welcomed me with open arms. Apparently, they had placed a glamour charm on me as a baby and gave me away to the Grangers, my parents, because it wasn't safe for me to be around at the time. You've heard the stories, I'm sure Harry. How pureblood men would sexually harass and abuse young girls who would dare speak up against them. Pureblood girls would have to 'stay in their place' so to speak. They had to stay quiet and not stand up for what they believed in. The Zabinis had just switched over to being neutrals in terms of blood supremacy and they weren't liked by many. Most pureblood families knew they were expecting and were throwing threats at them, saying they would kidnap their child and make them pay for their betrayal. They were angry. They had just lost one of the most successful pureblood families to the neutral zone. Most were empty threats, but my parents couldn't risk having me there with them. If I were to be kidnapped, there was no saying what those men would have done to me. They knew that Blaise would be relatively safe because he was a boy. You could say they were cowards. They gave me up because they had no faith in their protection. At least if I were raised by muggles, I would have the chance to live a normal life and to be happy. So, my mother placed a concealment charm on my birth certificate which would lose its effect on my 18th birthday. By then, which time, they would have come to find me. No one knew a second child even existed. However, when the time came to find me, I had placed the false memory charm on my parents so they couldn't find my location. The glamour charm they had placed on me was still in effect and they had no idea what I looked like. They just prayed their daughter would come looking and she did.' Hermione finished.

Harry rubbed his hands over his face in contemplation. She looked expectantly at him. Hoping he would say something. Anything. Please say he believed her.

'Where are the test results, Hermione?' He asked about two minutes later. She got up and walked over to her satchel, pulled out a folder of documents and handed them to Harry. Harry perused them. Hermione watched his face contort into a frown. A moment later, he put the documents down and turned to face her.

'So, you're really are a Zabini then.' He said with a weak smile. He was taking this a lot better than she thought he would have.

'Yeah, I am Harry.' She said and sighed in relief.

'But that doesn't explain why you're back here and crying.' He said and looked at her with concern. 'You haven't told me everything. I can tell.' He was right. She had neglected to tell him why she had returned. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. He was going to find out sooner or later.

'Lucius Malfoy, threatened me.' She said, tears threatening to fall down her face. The next moment later, Harry pulled her into another hug.

(Blaise POV)

He could hear voices chattering away around him. One female, two males. How long had he been out for? He must have groaned because the voices had stopped and turned towards him. He opened his eyes to see the three of them looming over him. He yelled and jumped out of bed.

'Argh. Merlin. What are you standing there for? I'm not bloody Sleeping Beauty or Snow White.' Blaise said. The looks of confusion on their faces told him they had no idea what he was talking about. 'They're from muggle fairytales. I learnt them from this girl I was friends with back in the day. So, why were you staring at me like a bunch of weirdos? You gave me the creeps.' He shuddered.

'Sorry mate. We were worried. You've been asleep for over fifteen hours now. We were contemplating waking you up.' One of the men said and Blaise turned to see his best friend Draco in the room.

'Draco, what are you doing here?' He enquired before rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

'I came because Theo and Daph asked me to come. They were worried about you.' He replied. Blaise groaned. He was fine. Just needed to figure out what the hell to do about his sister.

'Ugh, I'm fine. Stop acting like a bunch of pansies. It's not like she died or anything.' He paced around the room, contemplating what he should do.

'Alright Blaise, well if you're sure.' Daphne said. 'Hey, why don't we go to the study. We can figure out a plan of attack.' The three men exited the room after her and followed her to the study. 'Now what do we know about Granger?' She asked when they all were seated.

'Well, she lives in muggle London.' Blaise began.

'Ugh, why does that not surprise me.' Draco said which earned him a glare from the rest of the people in the room. 'Sorry, old habits die hard.' He shrugged.

'She also left because I think your father threatened her, Draco.' Blaise shot another glare at him. Draco then attacked him.

'How do you think this is my fault? I can't control my dad. He's the one who controls me. If I had a choice, I wouldn't even be his son. How do you know it was him Blaise? Granger is that head strong she probably just couldn't leave her old life behind.'

'Alright Draco. That is enough. Blaise show him the letter.' Theo said. Blaise picked the slightly crushed letter out of his pocket and gave it to Draco. Draco read it whilst everyone was looking at him.

'Alright, so she didn't leave because of that. But you still can't prove anything.' Draco sulked. Blaise knew he believed him, but just didn't want to say anything until he had the evidence.

'So, she lives in muggle London. Is that all we've got to go on?' Daphne asked. The men sighed. It turns out they really didn't know much about Granger at all. 'What about her friends? The Wesley family or whatever they're called. Do we know where they live?' They shook their heads.

'Couldn't we send her an owl and get her to meet us somewhere?' Theo asked, looking directly at Blaise. 'Surely that would be the easiest option.'

'It would be easier. But you know how owl post is these days, Theo. Letters are being intercepted left, right and centre. Especially the letters to the Golden Trio. We can't risk anyone getting suspicious about what is going on.' They all nodded their heads in agreement and sat there puzzling for what seemed like hours. Then suddenly, Draco spoke out timidly.

'I know where Potter lives.' They all looked at him with astonishment.

'Just how, do you know that?' Blaise said after a minute. 'Actually, never mind. I don't want to know about your homosexual tendencies towards Potter.' He smirked. Daphne and Theo could hardly contain their giggles. Draco's face turned red.

'I do not have homosexual tendencies towards anyone, let alone Potter. I happen to know where he lives because he is living in the old Black family house. He inherited it from Sirius. My mother was a Black, you know.' Draco all but shouted. Blaise and the couple were continuing to laugh at him. 'You know what, I hate you guys.' Draco sank back into his chair.

'No, you don't mate. You'd have no one else to go to other than Pansy if it weren't for us.' Theo said. They all shuddered at the mention of Pansy. The pug faced witch really was as ugly on the inside as she was on the outside. Blaise couldn't believe that Draco had once wanted to marry her.

'Anyway, so we know where Potter lives. That's progress.' Daphne said.

'Yeah, but that won't help us. He wouldn't tell us. We are Slytherins. We made their lives miserable for 6 years. Besides it would be weird if we all showed up at his house.' Blaise retorted. Draco snorted in agreement.

'Haven't you heard of the saying, there is strength in numbers.' Theo said out loud.

'God, Theo, you're starting to sound more and more like a Gryffindork every day.' Draco said. Theo threw a cushion at him hitting him square in the face. 'Ow, what was that for?'

'Serves you right. You're the one who is in love with a Gryffindor.' Theo smirked. The three of them burst out laughing again. Draco didn't reply, instead just sulked in his chair.

'So, what do you say Blaise? Should we try to ask Potter?' Theo said, controlling his laughter. Blaise sighed. What other choice did they have?

'Alright, alright. We will go to Potter's place. But first I need a shower and a change.' Blaise got up and left the three of them in the room. When he returned freshly showered fifteen minutes later, the four of them walked over to the fireplace. Draco stepped forward, grabbed some floo powder and turned to Blaise before he threw it in.

'Are you sure about this Blaise?' He asked.

'Surer than anything.' Blaise replied, nodding his head.

Draco, giving a weak smile in response, threw the powder into the fire and yelled. '12 Grimmauld Place.' The next moment, they were gone.

'Bloody hell' was the next thing that they heard. They looked up to see the shocked faces of a boy with glasses and a redhead with freckles. They had made it.


	7. The Mediator

**Hey y'all. Here comes the next chapter in the story. Please enjoy! :) x**

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Harry and Ron had been sitting in the dining room at Grimmauld Place, discussing Ron's recently failed attempt to join the Chudley Cannons, when the four Slytherins had shown up. He had neglected to tell Ron anything about what had happened to Hermione because he had wanted her to explain it to him herself. However, it was too late now. Of course, Harry had known that Blaise would come. It was only a matter of time. After he had spoken to Hermione this morning and she had confessed everything, he had known Blaise would come to find answers. However, he was a little bit surprised to see the other three that had come with him. Moral support he assumed. He looked from the newcomers to his other best friend sitting next to him. Except he wasn't sitting anymore and his mouth was as wide open as a codfish.

'God, Weaselbee. I don't want to see what you ate for breakfast. Didn't your mother teach you any manners? It is rude to gawk.' Malfoy said as he emerged from the fireplace. 'Potter.' He nodded his head in acknowledgement. After Malfoy's trial before the Wizengamot about 3 weeks ago, where Harry testified in their defence, he had noticed that Malfoy had gained a little respect for him. It was merely a nod of the head in acknowledgement whenever they saw each other. However, it was a vast improvement from what had occurred at school. It still didn't mean he liked the wizard though. He was still an arrogant bastard who thought the world revolved around him. But nevertheless, Harry returned the gesture. Ron closed his mouth and looked to Harry for an explanation. Ron was about to pull out his wand when Harry held back his arm and shook his head. His friend was confused to say the least and was fighting against him. He was getting redder by the second.

'Breathe Ron. All will be explained in a minute.' Harry turned to see the other three. He politely addressed them all. 'Malfoy, Greengrass, Nott, Zabini. I'm guessing you're here about Hermione or should I say Eleanora?' Everyone in the room let out the breath they were holding.

'So, you know.' Blaise said to him. Harry nodded in response.

'Eleanora? What's his sister got to do about anything? Could someone please tell me what the bloody hell is going on?' Ron yelled. 'Harry why aren't we attacking these guys? They're Slytherins. Not just any Slytherins. The ones who made our lives hell, remember? They've just barged into your home without warning. Something isn't right.'

'You're right Ron. Something isn't right.' He said, causing Ron to contort his face even more. 'I went to see Hermione this morning. She was distraught. She explained why she hadn't been turning up to the family dinners.' Ron cut him off.

'Really? What did she say? Where had she been? Is she alright? What has it got to do with the Slytherins? God, what did they do to her? We should hex them. I'm going to…' Ron's rant was cut off by Malfoy again.

'God, Weaselbee. Do you ever shut up? Potter was explaining before you so rudely interrupted. It is like you were raised in a barn or something. Go on Potter.' Ron glared at him and Harry cleared his throat.

'As I was saying, Hermione found out some news two days ago. She found a birth certificate which seemed odd to her. When she investigated deeper, she decided to take a parentage test. Turns out she is the long-lost twin sister of Blaise Zabini.' He gave Blaise a curt nod. Ron stood there gaping at Harry again.

'You can't be serious. If she is the sister of him, that would mean…'

'That she is pureblood.' Everyone in the room interrupted Ron, sighing with frustration.

'But that isn't right. She's muggle born. Is she sure that her results weren't mixed up with someone else's?' Ron asked.

'God Weaselbee. How thick must you be? Of course, they're the right ones. We're talking about Granger here. You know. Smartest witch of our time or whatever.' Malfoy said again. Ron's face got red.

'Right. That's it. Let me at him. How dare you insult me. Do you know who I am?' His face got redder with every word.

'Do I know who you are? Of course, I do Weaselbee. You're the insignificant third of the Golden Trio. You're the Weasel. Weasley is our king. You're as red as a tomato…' He stopped as Theo and Daphne grabbed him by both of his arms and dragged him out of the room. 'Hey, I wasn't done.'

'Yes, you are, Draco, please continue explaining Harry.' Daphne and Theo flashed him a smile and led Draco out into the hallway, him sulking the entire way.

_Ah, so that's why they came. To keep Malfoy under control._

'As I was saying, she showed me the results Ron. They were legit. She is Hermione Granger and Eleanora Zabini. The one and the same. Her parents gave her up as a baby.' Ron fainted. Both Harry and Blaise left him on the floor. He would come to eventually. Harry looked up from Ron to Blaise who had taken a seat in front of him.

'So, Zabini. Or should I call you Blaise now? He stopped and waited for Blaise to nod before continuing. 'She doesn't want to see you.'

'But why Potter? She didn't tell me why she left. She seemed so happy to finally have a family. She didn't even say goodbye. Something must have happened. I'm not that dumb.' He said, pleading with the boy who lived. Harry sat there watching Blaise. He had to give him credit. Hermione had said she hadn't said much about why she had left in her letter, so it impressed him that he had figured it out. On second thought, it probably shouldn't have surprised him. He was Hermione's brother for goodness sake.

_Merlin. Now that was weird. It was going to take some time to get used to saying that._

He continued to observe the young man in front of him. He looked just as distraught as the state he had found Hermione in this morning. He was beginning to think that maybe he could trust him, but he was still wary of his Slytherin nature.

'I can't tell you that, Blaise. It's up to Hermione to tell you that if she so wishes to tell you. But I still don't trust you or your friends. Why did they come with you anyway?' He asked. Blaise sighed and rubbed his face with his hands.

'If it weren't for Draco, I wouldn't have been able to come to you. I'm staying with Theo and Daphne whilst I'm in London and they can control him, so they came along too just in case things got tense. Which they did.' He pointed to Ron on the floor. 'All I want is a chance for her to explain to me why she left. I would never harm her. She is my sister for goodness sake. Please Harry. I just want my sister back.'

Harry sighed. He had forgotten that Malfoy had Black family descendants. Of course, he had known about this place. He observed him again, it was his use of his first name that got him. Usually, they were on a last name basis. It just seemed so genuine. But he knew he would have to ask Hermione first to see if she wanted to see him. She was the only one that mattered in this situation. If she didn't, well, Merlin knows what would happen from there.

'Ok, I believe you. But I will have to ask Hermione first. You know how she is. You said you were staying at Nott Manor? I will floo to you when I have an answer.' He said. 'But for now. I think it's best that you leave before Ron wakes up and hexes you all into next year. Don't worry. I will talk some sense into him.' Blaise gave Harry a curt nod and a weak smile before walking out of the room to retrieve his friends. When they returned to floo out, Harry stopped Blaise.

'Oi Blaise.' He turned around. 'Don't worry. Hermione will come around I'm sure.' Harry gave him a weak smile. Blaise turned, joined his friends in the fireplace and flooed back to Nott Manor. An unrecognisable bond had just formed between the best friend and the brother.

As soon as they left, Ron started to wake up and Harry helped him to his feet.

'Wah happened?' He asked, his voice still hoarse.

'Ron, you fainted, you great git.' He said and walked out of the room. He had very important business to attend to and wasn't in the mood to explain everything to him. It had been a very strange day. Ron, although very confused, followed him out ten seconds later.

'Hey Harry. Wait up. Where are you going?' Ron asked. Harry groaned in frustration.

'Ron. Isn't it time you went to see Lavender? I'm very busy right now.' Harry said and continued up the staircase towards the study.

'But Harry. What about the Slytherins? What about Hermione? I just don't understand it all.' Ron yelled after him. Harry stopped mid-stairway and groaned again.

'Alright Ron. You can come with me. We're going to see Hermione. But just know, it is a very sensitive topic we are talking about. I don't want to upset her any more than she already is. Well, come on then.' Harry said gesturing for him to follow. When they got to the study, Harry walked over to the fireplace and flooed to Hermione's place, Ron following suit.

* * *

When they got there, Hermione was sitting on her lounge drinking a cup of tea. She looked up and smiled at the familiar faces.

'Hiya boys.' She greeted them and placed her cup of tea back on the coaster on the coffee table. 'What's happening?'

'Well, Hermione. You tell me.' Ron said with a frown. He crossed his arms over his chest. 'What is this about you being a pureblood?' She gestured for him to sit down. When he did, she explained and told him everything she had told Harry this morning. When she finished, he looked redder than he had ever looked.

'No. I will not believe this. This is all too much. You're Hermione. You'll always be Hermione. You can't say after how many years of friendship that you've been a pureblood all this time. It just doesn't work like this, Hermione. I'm sorry. Come talk to me when you get this nonsense out of your head.' He shouted at her, stood up and walked over to the floo.

'Ron, wait. Please try to understand.'

'No, you understand, 'Mione. I'm sick of being the underdog, the sidekick, the henchman. Harry was the boy who lived. He was always going to be the front man. And you. You're supposed to be the brains of the operation. The muggleborn with brilliance beyond her time. And me. Well I'm apparently the dumb friend who just tags along for the ride. No 'Mione. Am I supposed to just sit behind you both and watch you get all the credit? Who destroyed that Slytherin Locket horcrux? Me. That's who. Who sacrificed himself in a game of wizard's chess, in first year, so Harry could get the Philosopher's Stone? Me. But do I get any of the credit? No. It all gets passed on to you both. Being a pureblood was all I had over you both. Now you're trying to take that away from me. I hope you enjoy your pureblood high life you bitch because I certainly won't be in it anymore.' He said with a snarl and flooed back home. Hermione began to cry. Harry threw his arms around her again.

'Shh…don't worry about Ron, 'Mione. He didn't really mean what he said. He just needs time to process it all. I will talk some sense into him later. But for now, let him cool off. It was a lot of information to handle. You know he has an emotional range of a teaspoon.' He said and she laughed, remembering she had said the same thing about him a couple of years ago in the Gryffindor common room. They stayed like this for another 10 minutes, Harry rubbing soothing circles on her back whilst Hermione sniffled against his arm. Eventually, she pulled out of his embrace.

'Why did you come back here today Harry?' She asked. He suddenly remembered why he was there in the first place.

'Your brother paid me a visit. He wants to see you.' He replied. She scoffed.

'Well, I don't want to see him or his lot for a long time.' She huffed and crossed her arms.

'Please, 'Mione. He just wants to know why you left without even saying goodbye. He is a lot smarter than we gave him credit for.' He said. 'If it will help, I can come with you. We can meet in Diagon Alley. At that new café you've been wanting to try, the Centaurian or whatever it's called.' He was bribing her. He knew. He could tell that she knew what he was doing too.

'Harry, we can't meet in Diagon Alley. It would be too public. We don't want the papers to know about this just yet. Besides, it would cause an uproar. A Slytherin meeting up with Gryffindors in Diagon Alley. It would raise suspicion.' She sighed in frustration. 'Besides, I'm not sure that he would want to be seen in public right now with the buzz from Rita's article.

He hadn't thought about that. But now that she mentioned it, he knew it was a stupid idea to even suggest it. He frowned in thought. How was he going to get Hermione to agree to meeting Blaise? He felt Hermione sigh again next to him.

'I'm not going to get any silence until I say yes, am I?' She asked.

'Absolutely not. He deserves to know. He is your brother. Although he's only just met you, he seems to care a lot.' He said, hoping she would say yes. He could practically hear the gears turning in her head whilst he waited in anticipation. She threw her hands up in resignation.

'Fine I will go see Blaise, but on one condition. You'll go with me.' She said. Harry smiled.

_Bingo, he got through to her. _

'Good.' He nodded. 'That settles it. How about tomorrow morning, say ten? At Nott Manor as that's where he's staying?' He asked.

'Yes, that will be fine. Now run along. I'm sure Ginny is looking for you.' She said, going back to her now cold tea.

'Alright but promise me one thing, please Hermione.' She quirked an eyebrow for him to continue. 'Just give Blaise a chance.' He gave her one last smile and flooed back to Nott Manor.

* * *

When he arrived, he was met with a very disgruntled Malfoy sitting on the lounge. He decided to try and walk past him without him noticing, but to no avail.

'Potter.' He said. 'You had better wait here. I'll go get Blaise.' He got up to leave the room and gave a curt nod when Harry muttered thanks.

Whilst he waited for Malfoy to return with Blaise, he looked around. He appeared to be in some sort of formal sitting room. But it seemed all the furnishings were out of date, falling apart and dusty. He had heard from Lavender, who had heard along the grapevine, that Nott and Greengrass had fallen on tough times. He suddenly felt sorry for them. Although, he hardly knew them, he knew they didn't deserve this. Daphne had saved Ginny's life during the battle when Thorfinn Rowle had sent the killing curse hurtling her way. He dared to say, he was in great debt to her. He heard people walking down the corridor towards the room he was in. Blaise, Nott, Greengrass and Malfoy all entered the room and stared at him expectantly. Harry was suddenly nervous.

'Well, Harry. What did she say?' Daphne asked. He cleared his throat that had suddenly become dry from being alone in a room full of Slytherins.

'She said that we will meet Blaise at ten tomorrow right here if that's ok with you?' He nodded towards Daphne and Theo who both nodded their heads in agreement. He hadn't been watching Blaise who had suddenly walked up to him and pulled him into a man hug. Two seconds later, after realising what he had done, Blaise stepped back sheepishly. Harry could see the emotions running all over his face. He coughed to break the tension that the other man had just created between them.

'Thank you, Potter.' Blaise said putting on a tough guy voice and gave a curt nod.

'You're welcome.' Potter replied awkwardly, unsure of what had just happened. 'Now, I must be off.' He pointed in the direction of the floo, before hopping in and returning home. He sat at the dining table. His head slid down his hands until eventually, his head was resting on the table. He exhaled deeply.

It had been a very strange day indeed.


	8. In Agreement

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Blaise had been on edge ever since Potter had brought the news that his sister had agreed to meet with him. But as he held the letter he had just received, his heart threatened to go into cardiac arrest. His parents had just summoned him and Hermione or rather Elles home. The letter had been extremely vague on details. He scowled at the letter. How dare their parents threaten to reveal that his sister had returned. They knew just how closely examined the owl post was these days. Anyone could know this information. Now, he was worried about the papers tomorrow. He frowned and read the letter again.

_Blaise and Ellie,  
Your presence is requested immediately at home. It is of vital importance that you come home. We have some news that can not wait.  
__Love mum and dad_

Well, their parents would have to wait. He couldn't very well go home without Ellie. He just hoped no one's life was hanging in the balance. He just hoped no one had read the letter. It would have been immediate confirmation that she had returned. He would have to mention this to his but not before she explained herself.

He abandoned the letter and paced the room back in forth, in anticipation of the sound of the floo. Following his awkward hug with Potter yesterday, he hadn't been able to sleep. He felt like such an idiot. He didn't even know what possessed him to even do that. Now Draco wouldn't let him live it down for the rest of his life. He had somehow turned the jokes he had used on Draco back onto him. Merlin. Draco wasn't a bad guy in all honesty, he had been through a lot. It was probably one of the reasons he acted like such a git. He really knew how to get on people's nerves sometimes.

Blaise feared that Elles was turning into a weak spot for him. He wondered what would happen between his best friend and sister if he ever made it up with her. He chuckled at the thought of them having to dance at the annual Zabini Christmas Charity Ball. He could just imagine their disgust at having to be in the same room as each other, let alone touch each other. Oh, that was going to be a fun time. He made a mental note to carry a camera with him that night. He knew that with time, she would begin to trust Daphne and Theo, Potter already had. They truly were great friends despite their Slytherin traits. But not everyone was going to be so accepting. He thought about Draco, Pansy and all the other Slytherins who she had bad blood with now that their parents had been trialled or locked up in Azkaban since the war. It was true that there had even been bad blood between them, but Blaise was done with the fighting. He was hoping to close off that old Slytherin grudge and be more accepting towards others. After all, there wasn't much difference between Slytherins or Gryffindors. They were all people. Their personalities and beliefs may differ slightly but that didn't make a reason to fight. Merlin. Even muggles were people too. They just weren't blessed with the gift of magic. He had learned to accept that, all those years ago with his muggle friend. He may have lost his way a little bit when he became friends with his other fellow purebloods, but now he could see clearer than ever. He just hoped he could convince Ellie that they weren't bad people and that he would do all he could to protect her. She was the sister he had always wanted and now that he had a chance at the dream, he wasn't going to let it go that easily.

Now it was nearing ten, he had kicked out the owners of the manor and the annoying stench that had decided to stick around last night. He frowned. He remembered when Draco had near begged him to let him stick around. He had been so convincing; he had almost let him stay. But his gut had overruled and he had forcibly booted him to the apparition point. He needed to be alone with his sister. He had no idea why Draco had even wanted to stay. It wasn't like he was emotionally invested in Blaise's family drama. But maybe he only wanted to stay because then he'd have to go home to his parents. God, he was beginning to hate Lucius more than ever. He had never particularly liked the man, ever since he saw the way he treated his son. Now that he believed that he had started to take it out on Blaise's family, there was no way he was going to stand for that.

_If that is what happened to her._

Blaise reminded himself. He couldn't believe how one man could have so much hate and negligence in one finger than his whole family combined. He supposed it had come from many years of mistreatment and instalment of fear from his own father, not to mention he-who-must-not-be-named himself. He felt sorry for Narcissa. She had been forced to stay by her husband through all his misdeeds. Sure, Blaise knew that the woman had once loved her husband but she had never wanted to be involved in the war or his crimes. So much so that she had nearly sacrificed herself to save the wizarding world when she had found Harry alive in the Forbidden Forest. She had wanted the light to win for the sake of her family's future. He also knew she loved Draco more than anything. It was rather unfortunate, that being a pureblood woman, she was forbidden to lash out against her husband and run off with Draco somewhere safe before Lucius had begun to transform him into what he was now. A melancholy, lonely, bitter soul whose only joy was to poke fun at others. Blaise grumbled. Draco needed to get laid. He shook his head. That wouldn't happen until he changed his attitude. Blaise just hoped that someday, he would be able to change Draco's attitude somehow. He deserved to be happy after all the pain and misery he went through. But today wasn't that day. Today was the day to win back his sister. He looked at the grandfather clock that was in Theo's study. It was five minutes to ten. He sighed and walked down the stairs to the living room where he assumed his sister would arrive. He just hoped Potter wouldn't come with her. He was already humiliated by that display he presented yesterday. But something within him could sense that she wouldn't be coming alone today. Call it 'twin-tuition' or whatever but he just knew she wouldn't be alone. A minute later, he was confirmed right.

* * *

(Theo POV)

Meanwhile at The Leaky Cauldron, Daphne and Theo sat at the back-corner table wondering how to go about the task they were given. Daphne had anxiety written all over her face. Theo grabbed her hand, startling her out of her reverie.

'Sorry, did you say something love?' She asked. He smiled warmly at her and started rubbing circles on the back of her hand. He hated seeing his girl so tense. He could see a prophecy burning in the back of her eyes but she was suppressing it. But he didn't want her to force it out, so he didn't press it.

'No, darling. I just hate seeing you so worried.' He said, staring into her ocean blue eyes. She lowered her voice.

'I'm sorry, Theo. I can't help it. I just don't know how we are ever going to convince her to fulfil the prophecy. What if her and Blaise don't reconcile? It will not end well for all of us.' She said.

'Daphne, stop being so tense. She will do it. I have the utmost faith in her. She was prophesised for a reason.' He replied peering at her over his glasses.

'How are we supposed to help? I know Blaise is already on the way to fulfilling his end of the deal, but I'm not sure she'll even trust Blaise enough, let alone us. We made her life a complete living hell. We need a plan, Theo.' Theo didn't reply to her immediately. He was trying to think of something that could help them out. 'Theo? Did you hear me?' She asked.

'Yes Daph. I was just trying to think of something that could help us.' He said.

'And?' Her eyes were looking at him expectantly.

'And nothing. Don't worry love, I'm sure we'll figure it out. We always do.' He leaned forward to kiss his girl on her lips. The prophecy glaze she had a moment ago was gone.

_Why is she suppressing it? _

He knew if she kept supressing it, she would suddenly burst out into the prophecy when she least expected it. He just prayed it would be when they were at home. No one apart from their closest friends and the covenant knew of their seer abilities. It would just not do to let it out here.

'And if we don't?' She asked. The glaze was back. They really needed to get out of here.

'Then there is always the superior one.' He said and they smiled at each other. 'Now, let us get out of here. This pub is getting too crowded. How about a nice little stroll in Diagon Alley?' He pulled her up by the hand and they exited the pub into Diagon Alley. Theo knew that they would work everything out. They were bound to. Prophecies never failed. Did they?

* * *

(Blaise POV)

'Potter. What are you doing here?' Blaise asked as they stepped out of the fire. 'I need to talk to my sister. ALONE.' He emphasised the word alone so he would take the hint and leave.

'Blaise, I asked him to come. I still don't fully trust your friends. Which by the way, where are they?' She asked, looking around.

'I kicked them out of the house for a couple of hours. Elles, we need to talk.' She recoiled at his nickname.

_She's still not used to me using it, obviously. _

He gestured for her to sit down with him but glared at Potter when he began to come over as well. 'Potter. Could you please leave? Maybe the room or something if Ellie doesn't want you to go away completely. But we need some privacy.' He said. Potter looked from him to his sister's face. He gave her a concerned look but Ellie nodded.

'Alright. I'll be out in the hallway if you need me.' Potter said and walked out the door, closing it behind him.

'Right. So now that is settled, you said you wanted to see me.' She said, waiting for him to start. He rubbed his hands over his face and sighed.

'I just don't understand what happened that made you leave. What happened Elles?' He asked. She took her time to contemplate her answer.

'Look. I know I came to you. I will be forever grateful that you welcomed me with open arms but the pureblood life is not for me, Blaise. As I stood there, in the mirror, looking at myself, I couldn't help but think about all the things that would change in my life. My life would be completely different. I don't think I can handle it. I've read about so many pureblood family laws and they're so strict. My life has never been that way Blaise. I grew up with muggles. They raised me with the belief I could be anyone I wanted to be, be with whoever I wanted to be with, do whatever I wanted. Pureblood society would ruin that. I would lose myself completely.' She choked with emotion.

'You miss them, more than anything, don't you? Your parents.' He said. He could sense every emotion that was running through her veins. Sadness. Pain. Hurt. Was that fear? She nodded, sniffled but then controlled herself enough to continue.

'They were my entire world. Then I met Harry and Ron and they became part of my world too. I was so happy to have family and friends. I had all I wanted. But then the war happened and my parent's memories were obliviated further than recovery. Then everyone started getting into relationships and I became so alone. When I found the birth certificate, I was so mad, so confused but so glad that I could have other people out there that would give a damn about me, that I subconsciously jumped at the chance. You were all so nice to me and I couldn't figure out why. You had made my life such a living hell for so long, the complete switch of personality threw me.' She stopped and looked up into his green eyes. He encouraged her to go on. 'But I was glad that you seemed to put the past behind you.' She stopped again and took a deep breath. 'Ok, don't do anything stupid.' Here it comes. He knew it. 'You had left the room, to go deal with Draco, when…' She cleared her throat. 'Lucius Malfoy threatened me. He clasped his hand around my neck and pulled me off the ground. He swore that I would rot in hell if I didn't stay in my place.' She said quietly. He bloody well knew it. A trigger went off in his head right then. He was going to make sure Lucius got his just desserts if it was the last thing he did.

'Blaise?' She enquired when he hadn't said anything. He had no idea what to say. He was so full of anger. So full of hatred. So full of need for vengeance. But so full of love for his sister. He turned to her and pulled her into a hug.

'I'm so sorry, Ellie. I should have never left you alone in that room.' He said. He could feel his shirt getting wet from her tears. 'Hey, shh. Nothing can get you now. You're safe here. You're safe with me and Potter. I knew something like that must have happened. I had a feeling in my gut. When you left it seemed all the pieces fell into place. I've hated that man ever since I've met him. I promise to never leave you alone again when he is around.' Blaise promised. They stayed that way for a few more minutes until Ellie pulled back.

'That's not the worst of it. Now, Ron won't even believe me.' He tucked a curl behind her ear, absorbing everything she was saying. 'He called me a bitch and he never wanted to see me again.'

_Ugh, what an absolute git._

'Ellie. Weasley is a git. He doesn't deserve your friendship if he can't believe the stories you tell him. He shouldn't doubt you so much. Look, he isn't worth these tears. You're an amazing woman. If it weren't for you, we would probably be living under you-know-who's power. You are worth so much more than what he made you feel like. If he gives you hell, you give it back. Where is this Gryffindor courage, I know you have?' He added and gave her a little poke in the side which made her shriek.

_Ah a ticklish one. I will keep that in mind for later._

'How did you get so smart?' She joked.

'I'm going to pretend like you didn't just insult me, Elles. You're talking to your own brother. You can't tell me that your intelligence doesn't run in the family.' He gave her a grin which she reciprocated. He suddenly got serious. 'So, that doesn't solve the problem of whether you'll come back or not.'

Ellie frowned. 'Blaise, I'm not so sure it is a good idea going back. If Lucius is like this, there is no telling what other families are going to be like.'

'Look. I see where you're coming from but I promise that I will never let anything like that happen ever again. I will cast a binding charm if I have to. Please Elles, I just want to have a sister around.' He gave her his best puppy dog eyes and pout.

'You can't make promises you can't keep Blaise.' She said.

'I know. I know. Please, I'll do anything to get you back.'

'Anything?' She smirked with a glint of evil in her eyes.

'Oh, come on. How could you not be a Slytherin when you do something like that?' He exclaimed. When she wouldn't back down, he threw his hands up in the air. 'Fine. What do you want me to do?'

'Oh, I won't tell you yet. It will be a surprise.' He didn't like where this was going but he was practically begging her now.

'Alright. So, you'll come back?' He queried.

'Yes. I'll come back.' He lifted her off the lounge and twirled her around, by now she was giggling.

'Good, because mum and dad have been asking when we'll get back. Apparently, they've got news.'

'Blaise put me down. You big oaf…what…kind…of…news?' She said, gasping for air.

'Haven't the faintest idea.' He grinned up at her. Finally, happy that she was coming home and silently reminding himself to take the glamour off when they got home. When he finally set her down, they could hear a commotion coming from the hallway. Draco had obviously returned. He looked to his sister and grinned. It was time for another show down. Suddenly, Draco had burst through the door and slumped against it, a bottle of fire whiskey barely clasped in his hand. He laughed and slurred his words.

'Oh you. You're my favourite.' He pointed the hand holding the fire whiskey towards Ellie before taking another sip, spilling it all over himself. He laughed again before, slumping even further, a trail of blood running down the door where his head had been.

Potter stared over him in shock whilst Blaise and Ellie rushed to help him. He was hurt. What had he done now?

* * *

**So there was chapter 7. I hope you all enjoyed. I won't be updating this story as frequently as I had as I have some exams coming up. But don't fear. I will not abandon this story. Until next time. :) **


	9. A Drunken Delivery

**Chapter 8**

* * *

He looked up to see three people crowding over the top of him, his vision blurry and his body buzzing from the fire whiskey in his body. He could feel a tingly sensation at the back of his head. Something warm oozing out of him. He was drunk and he knew it. He sat still, trying to let his eyes readjust. He could hear the people muttering between themselves and was about to grumble at them when he felt the bottle in his hand being taken, he grunted in protest. But then he felt weightless as if he were being levitated across the room. Wait. Whoa. He was being levitated. His stomach contents moved ever so slightly and he felt as if he was going to vomit. But then it settled and he felt the soft cushioning underneath him, forgetting all he was protesting about. Merlin whatever he was on was soft. After a few moments his eyes finally readjusted themselves and he saw his friend Blaise and Harry-I'm-So-Great-Potter and bloody Hermione-Know-It-All-Granger standing in front of him.

'What you looking at? Haven't you seen a drunk guy before?' He drawled. He began to laugh at the situation he was in. Blaise spoke first.

'Mate, it's eleven in the morning. I only sent you out three hours ago. How much have you had?' He asked.

'I don't know. Six…maybe ten.' He said, still giggling at the fact that he was sat on what he assumed was a lounge, blind drunk and his best friend and worst enemies were staring at him like he was an alien. He hadn't noticed Granger, who had got up to investigate the wound at the back of his head.

'Right. Harry. Go find a bucket and some water please. Blaise. Do you have any idea where we could get some essence of dittany?' She asked. 'The wound is fairly deep.' Both boys went running to find the items she had requested and left him alone with Granger. He jumped at the jolt of electricity he felt when he felt her hand caress the wound. The jolt was so strong he wasn't even sure it was from the wound itself.

_Now that is stupid. This is Granger, we're talking about. _

She walked around the seat so she was in front of him, examining him for any other injuries. Draco looked at her closely. He hadn't ever really looked past her wild, unruly mop of a head but what he saw astounded him. Her face, although pale, was lightly freckled. Her lips were red and moist as she chewed on it with concentration. Her cheeks were rosy and her nose was like a cute button. He stopped and gasped when he got to her eyes. Her eyes were like pools of amber. Piercing and beautiful. He couldn't help but stare into them. He was entranced. Behind that hair was indeed a beautiful girl. He wondered why he had never looked at her this way when they were fighting. Probably because he was too busy trying to outwit her.

'You're pretty.' He said before he realised what he was saying and reached out to pull his fingers through her curls. She stifled a laugh but continued to observe him. She didn't reply to him. He kept drowning in those caramel orbs and played with her curls. They had gotten a lot better over the years apparently. They were so silky smooth. She smelt like vanilla. He could just sit here and take it in all day and before long, he could feel the heat rising in his body. He had to remind himself who he was looking at to stop the bulge he felt in his pants.

_This is Hermione Granger. Little Miss Know It All. Girl who always beat you in everything…But she is so pretty…Damn you, traitorous hormones. _

But she seemed to not have noticed, too focused on making sure he wasn't going to die. His friend returned, with a small bottle of dittany with Potter not too far behind him. They both immediately saw his hard on, eyes widening with a questioning look. Draco tried to cover it up, but when he did, he failed miserably, causing Hermione to notice and jump up with surprise.

'Shit. What the hell is your problem Malfoy?' She said. He flushed in embarrassment. He would never live this down now. He looked up at the reason behind his sudden hard on to see a look of horror on her face.

'I'm drunk. I don't know. It happens all the time, when I'm drunk. Sorry.' He slurred. The two boys gave him a sceptical look but Hermione seemed to accept this as an adequate excuse. She then told him to hold still whilst she went to work on his head. Blaise and Potter looked at each other and started to chuckle amongst themselves.

_Great. He'd never hear the end of it now._

'Now, this might hurt a little.' She said. He flinched and groaned at the sting at the back of his head. 'I told you it would hurt. That should fix it now though, Malfoy.' She recapped the bottle and handed it back to Blaise, who was still snickering. She punched him in the shoulder and he gasped out in pain.

'Ow. Sis. That hurt.' She gave a smirk to tell him he deserved it. She was a Gryffindor but he could definitely see some Slytherin traits in her. Draco smirked as she punched Potter in the shoulder too.

_Serves them right for laughing._

They then turned back to him. He had noticed that he had somehow slid onto the floor during the debacle. He tried to stand, but it was difficult with all the alcohol in his system and he kept falling back down. Blaise pulled him up and sat him back onto the lounge. The three sat on the lounge opposite him.

'Malfoy. What happened?' Potter asked him. He scoffed. As if, he'd tell him. But then he looked into those copper eyes again. He had to tell them.

'After you sent me home, an elf sent me…to…see…my dad…in his…office.' He was struggling to keep it down.

'Quick Harry, give him the bucket. I think he's going to puke.' Hermione said as he snatched the bucket from Potter and hurled the contents of his guts into it. The other three groaned in disgust.

'That is why, you eat before you drink.' Hermione said trying to break the tension. There was no doubt she was Blaise's sister. He groaned again at the reason for his alcoholic episode and hurled again.

Once he was done, he sat back, his chest heaving with exhaustion, sweat beading down his forehead. He looked around and noticed that Hermione had left the room since her last comment. His drunken mind frowned in disappointed. He lobbed his head back to face Blaise and Potter, who sat across from him.

'Want to explain what this is all about?' His friend asked.

'Not particularly.' He replied but seeing that he wasn't going to get them to shut up until he did, he went on. 'As I said, I went to see my father. He had some news for me. Apparently, he has struck a deal with this huge wealthy man. So what? Good for him. But as part of the deal, he offered me hand to the man's daughter, whoever the bloody hell she may be. Probably some stuck up, pre…preten…Oh screw it, snobby, little pureblood witch, who will squander all my fortune.' He said. He was trying to stay mad, but his head filled with the thought of those amber eyes again. He sighed in resignation. 'I am to marry her straight after I graduate from school.' He rubbed the sweat off his face. Blaise put his hand on his knee causing him to jump a little.

'Mate, this sucks. No wonder you went to drink.'

'What did you say to him?' He forgot Potter was still there.

'Shit. Potter. You're still here. What's it to you? I told him to sod off, didn't I? But he bloody well threatened to disown me from the fortune if I dared say no to this agreement.' He said and sat up properly again. He kept glancing towards the door.

_Not that I really care anymore. _

'How did you get the wound on the back of your head?' Blaise asked.

'Oh that. I can't exactly remember. Must've been from Rosmerta threw me out. My god, she is looking fantastic these days.' He stumbled over his words, the final part giving Blaise or Potter a good thing to snicker about. They didn't push him further as Hermione walked back in, a bottle of water in her hand.

'Here, I thought you might need this.' She handed him the bottle and went to sit between her brother and best friend.

'Thanks.' He said, giving her a weak smile and staring into those eyes again. He couldn't get enough of them. Blaise looked between them, noticing the tension that had been created. He coughed. Draco took a sip out of the bottle.

'Well, Elles. You and Potter should probably get going. Write down your address so I can come by later. I can handle Draco from here.' Blaise said, ushering them both towards the floo. They didn't fight it. She went to the writing desk and scribbled down her address and gave it to Blaise. They hugged before she and Potter stepped into the floo and were gone.

Blaise turned back to his friend and smirked.

'So, anything you'd like to tell me?'

Draco gulped. He knew he was done for.

* * *

(Hermione POV)

Hermione and Harry arrived back at her apartment in London.

'So how did it go?' Harry asked.

'I talked it through with Blaise and I guess I decided to go back. Even if it's only for a while. They are my parents, Harry. I can't desert them now that they know who I am.' She said, starting to peruse her books on the shelves and deciding on which ones she would take with her.

'And what about your apartment here? What about your friends here? What about school?' Harry asked. She laughed.

'Harry, you've spent way too much time with me. I have enough money to keep it for now. Besides, if my parents want me to sell, I'll tell them it's an investment for Blaise and me. As for friends, I will write you and Ginny all the time. You can always come visit me as well. I'm sure my parents would love to meet the 'boy who lived' and I will be back for school in September, Harry.' He counted the months on his fingers. She inwardly laughed. Some things never changed.

'But that is two months away, Hermione. How am I supposed to deal with the Weasleys, more specifically Ron and Lavender for all that time? I'll die if I have to continuously talk about Quidditch. I love the game and all, but I don't live and breathe it.' He explained.

'I'm sure you can find other people to hang out with Harry. Besides, I said you can come hang out in Italy sometime.' She said, continuing to pick out books and place them into a bag, charmed with an extendable charm.

'Alright. I suppose it is ok then. But promise me you'll write.' She was about to answer him, when Ginny came through on the Floo.

'Harry James Potter. I have been looking for you everywhere. I haven't seen you in two days. I've been so worried. Where in the world have you been?' She shouted at him, slapped his shoulder and then turned to Hermione who had an amused look on her face. 'Oh hi, Hermione. We've missed you. Ron has been so grumpy ever since he got back from seeing you yesterday. You two didn't have a fight again, did you?' She said sweetly.

'Actually Ginny. We did.' She said, exchanging a look with Harry. 'It's a long story.' Ginny went and sat on the lounge.

'Well. I'm all ears. Shoot.' Hermione abandoned her packing and went to sit with Ginny whilst Harry sat on the armrest of another chair. She explained to Ginny everything that happened, from when she had found out she was Eleanora Zabini, when she was attacked by Lucius Malfoy, to today where she had told Blaise what had happened. Ginny had 'ooohed' and 'ahhhed' in all the right places. When Hermione had finished, Ginny huffed out a low whistle.

'Wow, Hermione. That is some story. No wonder Ron flipped.' She cringed. 'Sorry. That was the wrong thing to say. So, you're going back to Italy?' She asked, changing the subject. Hermione nodded in response and went back to sorting out her books. 'Ooo, how exciting! I've always wanted to go to Italy. Please tell me you'll invite us once you're all settled in.' She said her voice raising in excitement.

'Sure. I'll have to ask my parents but I'm sure they would love to have you.' She said. Ginny flung a hug around her, temporarily stopping her from her packing.

'Oh, thank you. Thank you. It is all exciting isn't it? Hermione is pureblood and a Zabini, none the less. I suppose we'll have to start calling you Ellie now, won't we?' Hermione gave her a weak smirk. She didn't mind what they called her. She'd probably answer to both. But Ginny didn't wait for her to answer.

'Anyway Hermione. Ah shoot. Ellie. I was here to drag Harry back to the Burrow. Mum has been driving us nuts worrying about Harry. Where is Harry? Has Harry been eating? Has he been doing his laundry?' She snorted. 'So, he had better come back. It was lovely seeing you. Have fun in Italy. Be sure to write. Can't wait to see your new place.' She said and gestured for Harry to follow her. Hermione laughed at Harry's reluctant face. She knew he loved Ginny, but sometimes she could be a little overwhelming. She smiled at him and replied to Ginny.

'I will. I promise.' She said. Harry and Ginny then flooed to the Burrow.

She ran a hand through her hair and exhaled deeply. She was exhausted. The clock chimed on the wall; midday. She had better get packing if she wanted to be done before Blaise got there. Abandoning the books, she went through to her bedroom and opened her trunk. She then packed all her clothes into it. When she got to her robes, she smiled. She couldn't believe she was going back in two months. She placed them in the trunk. She had no idea how long she would be staying there and needed to be prepared. Next to be collected was all her long-neglected school supplies. She smiled. She had missed Hogwarts so much.

_Let's see, got all my clothes, my robes, quills, inks, parchment. _

She looked around her room and came across the photographs on her dresser. Some of them were of her, Harry and Ron. Some had the Weasley clan join them. She had one with Fred and George. There was one of her and Viktor Krum at the Yule Ball. All of them moved and in every situation, she was incredibly happy. She threw them all into her trunk. She then saw the ones of her supposed parents. With an expectation of feeling mad, she looked at them but instead felt apathetic. She no longer felt the love of these photos, but she couldn't remain angry at them. She picked up her favourite one. It was the one of them on Platform 9¾ before she hopped onto the train to Hogwarts. There was wonder in their eyes as they looked around and she was so excited to go to the school she had read so much about over the summer. She sighed and threw it into her trunk. She may as well keep something to remind her of her childhood. New memories would be made now anyway. Once she packed up her room, she went to the kitchen, collected her favourite mugs and then went back to picking out books to take with her in the living room. Once satisfied, she sank onto the lounge and went to sleep.

* * *

It was dark by the time she awoke. She stared up into the light of a wand and saw Blaise and nearly screamed.

'Ah, Blaise. What time is it?' She covered well, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

'I would say around eight thirty.' He said and helped her up into a sitting position. 'Are you all ready and packed? It will be getting late at home. Maybe we can sneak in and surprise our parents in the morning.' He said with a chuckle.

'Yes, I'm all packed. How long have you been here?' She asked.

'Uh, a couple of hours actually. I took a look around; I hope you don't mind. Nice place you've got here. Besides, I saw you were sleeping. Thought I'd give you a few more hours of rest. You probably needed it. I mainly just sat and read one of your books. Interesting selection by the way.' He said, helping her to her feet. 'Our library is much more impressive though.' He added which woke her up even more. He chuckled again. 'Of course, that would perk you up, my bookworm sorella.' She went to her room and pulled her trunk out into the living room and then picked up her extendable bag.

'Right. I think I'm ready to go.' She said. Blaise shrunk the trunk and placed it in his pocket. Hermione had been so tired; she hadn't even thought of that. They went to floo, but he stopped her before she could grab some powder.

'Are you sure you want to do this? I don't want you doing this just because I want it.' He said. She grabbed his hand and smiled at him. That was all the answer he needed. The next moment later, they were back in Italy.

* * *

'Uh Blaise. Where-abouts are we?' She asked. The smell of wine was prominent.

'That, sorella, is the smell of the finest Zabini Estate wines. We came in through the brewery floo. I wanted our arrival to go as unnoticed as possible.' He said pulling her out of the fireplace. She saw that the fire had returned and lit up a small sitting area where there were a few luxurious, dusty pink, velvet seats. She then saw rows upon rows of wine bottles stacked on cases 5 shelves high. Blaise pointed towards two wooden doors behind the fireplace. 'In there is where our elves make the wine. Before you say anything. They were all free before they came to us to work willingly.' He said when he saw her shocked face. 'It is kind of a side business for us. Dad works as an International Affairs Correspondent in the Department of International Magical Co-operation of the Ministry of Magic. Usually any deals he makes, he includes a bottle of wine from our selection. We also sell them to local restaurants and liquor stores. It is quite a profitable business. I sometimes go and help the elves. They would love it if they knew 'the young mistress' came too.' He made air quotes to imitate the elves which made her giggle a little. 'Hey, it's nice to see you laugh.' He said.

'Come on. Let's get inside. We'll use our secret passageway. Mum and dad don't even know of its existence, I don't think.' He took her by the hand and went downstairs into what she assumed was a cellar. 'We keep our absolute finest wines down here. We never even touch them, unless it is a very special occasion.' He lifted a hidden trapdoor that lay underneath an old piece of carpet. He jumped into the hole; it wasn't very deep. She hesitated. 'Come on, where's your sense of adventure, Granger? I promise I won't hurt you. Even if I tried to, you could out hex me any day.' He admitted. She took a deep breath and jumped in after him. 'There we go, that wasn't so hard, was it?' He grinned. Hermione took out her wand and Blaise did the same.

'Lumos'. They both said. Light came to the tips of their wands.

'Come, the manor is this way.' He said. They began walking. 'You're going to love the history of this place. The catacombs were used in the Italian Wars back in the 1490s as safety bunkers. I'm sure Professor Binns talked about the wars.'

'Yeah, I remember something about that.' She said, thoroughly enthralled by his explanation.

'Anyway, once the wars were over, 40 or so years later and the peace treaty was signed, the bunkers were badly damaged and most were sealed up to prevent anyone from coming down here and getting crushed by an accidental landslide. However, this one wasn't and you can see why.' The catacomb was made of a solid material similar to concrete. 'You see. This one was made for the lords and ladies of the household, whereas the other ones were for the servants and elves. Back in those days, servants and elves would die all the time.'

'Therefore, they were expendable.' She cut him off.

'Exactly. However, if the heads of the manor were to die, it would've been a lot worse. Anyway, I discovered this hideaway when I was about six and I would come down here whenever our parents got angry. It's concealed behind a statue of our great-great-great grandmother. Apparently, she was a woman who was as materialistic as they come. Always wanted the biggest and best things.' He finished.

'The Zabini family has quite an extensive history.' She said. They reached a staircase and Blaise indicated for her to be quiet. She nodded and they tiptoed up the stairs. Blaise suddenly pushed what looked like a statue out a little bit and slunk up behind it. He peeked out from behind it to check if the coast was clear and muttered 'Nox'. Hermione followed suit. He then turned back to her.

'You hungry?' He said and she nodded. 'I'm starving. Let's go to the kitchens.' They both slid out from behind the statue and quietly replaced it. They slunk back into the wall, behind a plant, when an elf, this time in a green waistcoat and tie walked past. Blaise breathed out and whispered to the elf.

'Savoy.' The elf turned around and his face lit up.

'Master Blaise. You're home. Should I notify Master and Mistress?' He squeaked in a quiet voice. Hermione looked on in interest, confusion setting into her face.

'No Savoy. Ellie and I were wondering if you could bring us some food, please.' He asked kindly to the elf. The elf nearly squeaked in joy when he saw Hermione standing with him.

'Ah, Mistress Ellie. So good to see you. I shall bring food to your room right away sir. I will set up mistress's room as well. I will not notify the other master and mistress of your arrival.' With that he popped away. Blaise turned to Hermione, who had a curious look on her face.

'Savoy is my private elf.' He whispered to her. 'Saves us from going down to the kitchens. Come on.' He pulled her along the corridors and up the stairs, looking around every corner as they did so, having a few close calls with other elves, until finally they reached the northern wing of the house on the third floor. 'This wing of the house is ours; our parents have the southern end. Your bedroom should be across from mine and we should be relatively safe now.' He said as he continued to pull her along the corridor. It was brightly painted with a crimson and royal blue theme. The floors were hardwood but were covered with a long plush red carpet that ran down the length of the hall. She assumed there were pictures of relatives, who were sleeping, hanging on the wall, but they were moving too fast for her to see properly. They suddenly stopped walking at the end of the hallway. There were three doors in between them. Blaise then spoke. 'Your bedroom is on the eastern side, whilst mine is on the western side. There's a bathroom in between.' They could hear voices of elves behind them so Blaise pulled her into his room as quick as he could and closed the door quietly. He turned his bedside lamps on to minimise the lighting that could be seen under the door. Hermione was finding it hard to catch her breath. What she saw next astounded her.

His room was not what she had expected. There was no hint to him being a Slytherin at all. All the furniture was made of mahogany with silver handles and trimmings. A massive king bed sat at one end of the room, with a royal blue duvet that matched the curtains on the windows. The hardwood floors continued except now there was a big blue carpet covering the floor. There was a door next to his bed and one on the opposite wall next to a writing desk. One for the walk-in closet and the other for the bathroom. His room was charmed so that stars sparkled above on his roof. She marvelled at how refined and beautiful the room was, walking over to the six windows on the other side of his room. She gasped at what she saw out the window. For miles and miles, she saw stretches of vineyards and olive groves lit up with what she thought were fairy lights. In the distance she saw what she assumed was Florence. She turned to see Blaise, who was lying on his bed, tossing a quaffle up in the air.

'Like what you see?' He asked her, sitting up and putting the quaffle down.

'Very much so, Blaise. It's beautiful.' She said.

'It was designed by a very tasteful decorator known as yours truly.' He joked. She giggled slightly at his remark. 'But in all honesty, thank you.' She sat there looking out his window until she heard the pop of an elf come in.

'Ah, Master, Mistress. Your dinner is served. Pumpkin soup or pumpkin gnocchi, with pumpkin juice and pumpkin bread for dessert. Sorry. We had a bumper deal on pumpkins. Anyway, please enjoy.' Savoy put the tray down on the table in the little sitting nook, that Hermione had only just discovered, and then he popped out. Blaise and Hermione laughed at the little elf and the pumpkin deal.

'Halloween, already?' She asked and sat down to eat. She took a spoonful of pumpkin soup. It was absolutely marvellous. He shrugged.

'The elves do that from time to time. They find a particular vegetable on sale and buy it in bulk. I remember one time, they bought a whole bunch of cabbages and made us eat cabbage soup for a week.' He shivered at the memory making her giggle. 'Mum and dad ordered them never to do that again. But pumpkins, carrots and potatoes are usually what they do. Anyway, eat up, I'm sure you're starving.' He grabbed the plate of gnocchi and started eating that.

'How many elves do you actually have here?' She asked.

'Well, there's Sandy, Jackie, Savoy and Jinx. They're our personal elves. Then there is about 20 others for general maintenance and cooking. Then our parents have 4 themselves. I know, there are a lot. But I promise we treat them well and they all get paid a reasonable salary. All of them have their own uniforms too.' He explained. She nodded. They continued to sit and eat in comfortable silence. When they were full, Blaise stood up and grabbed her hand.

'Come on, sorella. Time for bed.' He pulled her up and they walked to the shared bathroom. He allowed her to walk ahead of him. The bathroom was wonderfully modern with marble benchtops and a very clean, white colour scheme. 'It's enchanted. The bathroom changes forms depending on who is in it. It is quite interesting. When Draco was in here, it turned into a modern Balinese style bathroom. But apparently, yours is exactly the same as mine which doesn't make it any fun. But hey, we're twins so I suppose it makes sense.' Hermione didn't say anything, still gobsmacked by it all. They walked out into her bedroom. It was pretty much identical to his but was a complete clean slate. Obviously, she could decorate it however she wanted. She put her bag down and ran over to the bed and jumped onto it. It was so soft and comfortable. Blaise chuckled.

'I see you like it.' He said. 'Our parents left it up to us to decorate our own rooms. Something about freedom to express ourselves or something to that affect.' He said, taking her trunk out of his pocket and placing it at the foot of her bed.

'Engorgio.' The trunk resumed its normal size. He sat beside her lying figure on the bed. She propped herself up onto her arms to look at him. She looked at his eyes which were now twinkling in the moonlight.

'Blaise.' She said and he stared at her expectantly.

'Yes, Ellie.' He said.

'Do you think you could show me the library tomorrow?' She asked. He chuckled again and pushed her shoulder playfully, making her readjust her position a little.

'Is that all you think about? Books? But ok. I will give you the grand tour tomorrow. But for now, I think you need to sleep.' He got up and walked towards the door.

'Blaise.' She said again.

'Yes, sorella.' He said to her.

'Buona notte (Goodnight).' He laughed at her use of Italian.

'Buona notte e sogni d'oro (Goodnight and sweet dreams).' He walked out the door and she slumped back down onto her bed. How was she ever going to sleep when there was so much to learn about this family?

* * *

**That was chapter 8. I've never written a drunk character before so I hope I did it justice. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It is the longest one yet. **


	10. Tense Thoughts

**Chapter 9**

* * *

Draco had returned to Malfoy Manor, a little worse for wear. His mother had been in the drawing room when he had flooed in, doing her latest hobby; weaving. At the sound of the floo, she had abandoned her work and rushed to his side when she saw him stumbling and drenched in alcohol. She had taken him to his room immediately without any questions asked, told Minky, his private house elf, to keep an eye on him, placed him on the bed and went to talk to her husband. He snorted at that.

_A fat lot of good that would do, mother. _

His father had screwed up his life enough times for him to know there was no getting out of this. His mother wouldn't be able to do a thing. She would be beaten up more severely than him if she tried to talk his father out of the agreement. So, he had better start accepting his fate. Stupid pureblood marriage laws were so outdated and dumb. Draco couldn't care less if his wife spoke back to him. In his opinion, it made the marriage more interesting. He also wouldn't care if she wanted to work, not that she would need to, but it would show she wasn't just a dumb pureblood bimbo. But he doubted she would do any of those things. Being a pureblood woman, she would have had those things instilled in her since the beginning. Boring.

He just hoped that whoever's bed he ended up in, that she would actually be a decent person and not someone like Pansy Parkinson. The name made him want to hurl again and a bucket magically appeared beside his bed. He silently thanked Minky and dove his head into the bucket. Pansy was the most vile person he had ever laid eyes on. He was glad when Blaise had woken him up to this about two years ago. She was a leech. Preyed on weak souls, just hoping one would stick around. Not to mention she had slept with half of his cohort. She wasn't unfortunate looking he supposed, but still, she wasn't much above a five and a half out of ten. He retched again. A bottle of water appeared on his bedside table and he was grateful once again for his house elf. He was suddenly reminded of the way Granger had almost immediately started helping him, despite all the mean things he had said. True, he had apologised to her when he had met her in Ellie's form, but he hadn't known who she was then. It had shocked him that she had done that. He hadn't expected her to do that. The personality change was almost frightening.

_She did it for Blaise. _

He sighed. Of course, that would be the reason. He had to admit that he kind of wished it weren't the case, but who was he kidding? He just wanted redemption. But he was Draco-Sodding-Malfoy. The boy who had called her mudblood, thrown insults at her, caused her so much pain. It would take a lot more than an apology to get her headstrong mind to forgive him. Oh, and then his hormones had gotten the better of him when he had looked into her eyes. Merlin. Those eyes were something else. He couldn't understand how he had missed those molten, gleaming, golden eyes all his life. There was something so enchanting about them. He shook his head.

_This obsession is getting out of hand. They're just eyes, for crying out loud Draco. _

He remembered how beautiful her face was when it was scrunched up in concentration. How she smelt of vanilla. How the scent made him ooze into a feeling of relaxation. He remembered how soft her curls had felt as he had twirled them around his fingers. He wondered what it would have felt like to run his hands over her skin. He bet her skin was just a soft. He moaned as his body stiffened again.

_Oh boy, he really was screwed up in the head_. _He was attracted to god damn Granger._

Blaise had nearly had a fit when he saw his hard on. He blamed the alcohol, even though he just didn't want to admit it was because there was something in her eyes that had attracted him and awakened all his senses. He recalled the memory of Blaise yelling at him.

_'So, anything you'd like to tell me?' _

_He gulped; he knew he was done for. _

_'I don't know what you're talking about.' He feigned innocence, but it did not work. _

_'Don't play all innocent with me. When my sister was taking care of you, you had a full-on stiff one. Come on, she even noticed it too. What are you playing at? You can't say you've been attracted to her all this time. How many times have you complained about her in the common room? Told me that she was the most annoying, most infuriating person ever? Called her a beaver. Don't tell me it was all an act.' Blaise yelled at him. _

_He blushed, getting more colour by the second. Shit. Was he seriously attracted to Granger? _

_'Blaise. I don't know what happened. I've never even liked Granger. As you said, she is the most irritating person I've ever met. But then I looked at her eyes…' A light bulb went off behind Blaise's eyes and he softened his attitude. _

_'They're like pools of honey, aren't they?' Blaise said quietly, looking directly at Draco. He nodded. _

_'I'm sorry, Blaise. Something weird triggered within me when I looked into them. It was like they were enchanted. I promise I don't like your sister like that.' He said. He couldn't help but feel like what he was saying was wrong but pushed the feeling aside. _

_There is no way that I, Draco Malfoy, have feelings for Hermione Granger. Nope. No way. _

_Blaise sighed and looked down at the floor. _

_'Alright mate. I believe you. But what I said before still stands. If you so as lay one finger on her and she doesn't want it, I will not hesitate to hurt you.' He said. _

_Draco smirked up at him. 'I promise I won't.' However, his subconscious begged to differ. _

Now Draco sat up in his bed and stared towards the window. His body relaxing as he forced his mind onto something else. It had started to rain again. In the distance he could hear the rumble of a thunderstorm on its way.

_Bloody British weather. _

He groaned. He knew he was going to get a bad hangover. His father made him do stupid things, he knew that, but going out to drink just because he was getting forced to marry some bimbo? What the hell was that all about? He had been through a hell of a lot worse than this and had never turned to the drink.

_Maybe it was because he was near the end of his tether with his father. _

_Maybe it was because he wanted to defy him._

_Maybe it was because he wanted to control his own life._

_Maybe he wanted to marry for love. _

He sneered at the last one. Love? Who the hell did he think he was? He was pretty sure he was incapable of loving anyone else but his mother. He adored his mother, it was true. But loving someone else? His father had whipped that out of him ever since he was a young boy. So that couldn't be it. Could it? He scoffed again. No way. Besides, who could ever love a bitter guy like him? He had too much emotional baggage. His marriage would end up like his parents. Strained and unfulfilled.

Sure, he could probably learn to like his wife if she were decent, whoever she was, but love was definitely off the cards. Sure, she could very well be the most attractive person ever and they would do everything a married couple were supposed to do to ensure the Malfoy line went on, but it would be a completely loveless marriage. The poor girl would suffer. He may be bitter about his own life, but that didn't mean he wanted someone else to feel the same pain. The poor girl would not know what hit her. She was probably expecting some handsome, knight in shining armour, but in return she'd get a bitter arsehole. Worst trade off ever.

Also, the notion of marriage at his age was absolutely absurd. He knew it was insurance that the lineage would continue, but he was too young for this stupidity. He was still getting over the war, trying to heal after all the bad things he was forced to do. It was hardly the time to be courting a girl. He looked at the fading dark mark on his arm. He had tried everything to conceal it, but nothing had worked. He had even heard about a muggle technology that could remove pictures from arms and had considered it. But that was ridiculous. He had never even been in the muggle world. He would have no idea what to do with himself around non magic folk. He wasn't even sure how effective the procedure was, so, he had scratched that idea.

The war had changed a lot of things, but not his father's belief in blood supremacy. Draco didn't care about blood purity. He never really did. It was all just a façade so he could prove himself to his father. But he now knew; he could never live up to his standards. He hated the man with his entire being. Every poor decision he made directly affected his future and he was so sick of his life being overruled.

In his mind, he was seriously considering withdrawing some money and paving a way of his own. He had no doubt his father would force him to invest in dodgy companies if he were to go into the 'family business'. It wasn't even a business, it was just throwing money into the wind and hoping there would be returns. Yes, it had worked in the past, but that life never enticed him. Maybe he would become a potions master or a curse breaker. He liked the sound of the idea.

But the very thought of going against his father made him shake with anxiety. His father would flip and tear down the entire wizarding world just to find him and sacrifice him to the devil himself. But if he were to go, where in blazing earth would he go? Where would he be safe? He only had three friends. He couldn't very well be a burden to them. Especially now with Theo and Daphne in debt and Blaise with his newfound sister. Besides he was too well known in Britain. News would spread quickly about him being disowned and he would be hounded by reporters. He would never be able to escape. He could go to other wizarding communities outside of Europe, he supposed, but he didn't really want to risk leaving his mother all alone with his father. His father would also eventually find him, so that was off the cards as well. He would have to consider going back to school. If he wanted a proper job, he would have to finish his NEWTS. So, he would have to stay. All this talk of leaving was just him trying to talk himself out of giving himself and the girl a chance. But it wouldn't work. He knew he would have no choice but to go through with this silly agreement.

He sighed and felt his eyes get droopy. No sense worrying about it all now, his head wasn't clear enough to make decisions. He took one last look out the window and succumbed to sleep.

* * *

He awoke about five hours later with a splitting headache. He groaned, rubbed his eyes and tried to sit up. He looked at his bedside table where a vial of hangover cure potion was sitting. Minky. He smirked, uncapped the vial and downed the potion, almost instantly feeling better. An egg and bacon roll appeared beside the potion bottle. He really should let Minky know how much he appreciated her more often. But the little elf would probably not have any of it and start punishing herself.

_Man. Elves were weird._

He took a bite out of the greasy roll and moaned in satisfaction. It was simply the best thing to cure a hangover, he decided. He got up and walked over to one of his windows. The sun was setting and he could feel the last of the day's warmth shining through his window onto him. He finished his roll and watched the sun set merely a moment more, when he realised that he wreaked of fire whiskey and peppermint schnapps.

_Ugh. What a disgusting combination. _

He nearly puked at the smell.

_Yikes. How did everyone else I saw deal with this? _

He ran to his bathroom, immediately stripped and got into the shower. The warmth of the water revitalised his body and removed the horrible stench of his poor alcoholic decisions. He felt the back of his head which had completely healed. He still couldn't remember what had happened there. Did he really hurt himself when Rosmerta threw him out of the pub? Did he get beaten up? Why couldn't he remember anything from when he left the pub to getting to Nott Manor? Why did he suspect his father had something to do with it? However, he was grateful that Granger had stopped the bleeding though. It had stung like a bitch. He smirked at the memory.

_'I told you it would hurt.' _

For a Gryffindor, she sure could give off a great Slytherin impression. He would probably have to go see them tomorrow and thank them for taking care of him when he was in such a disorderly state. He suddenly felt so embarrassed. Granger and Potter had seen him drunk. This day couldn't get any worse. He couldn't believe his worst enemies from school now had this leverage over him. How stupid had he been to go back there when he knew they'd both be there? He stopped the shower and dried himself off, feeling much cleaner. He groaned and rubbed his hands over his face.

_Oh well. It's done now. Just be glad that they took care of you. They could have left you face down in the gutter._

He took one last look at himself and went through to his wardrobe to find some pyjamas. There was no way he was going to show up to his family dinner tonight. Not with the bombshell of today. He grabbed a pair of red tartan pants and a grey and black baseball shirt and decided he wasn't quite tired enough for bed again. He walked back into his room and over to his writing desk. He pulled out some parchment, some ink and a quill and began to write.

_Dear Blaise,  
I'm sorry I overstepped the line today. I was wondering if I could come by tomorrow. I think we'd both know that I need to apologise in person. Anyway, let me know.  
D.M._

He put it in an envelope and wrote Blaise's address on it. He called for an owl outside his window and a beautiful tawny owl flew down and perched on the windowsill. He patted its head and it hooted in appreciation.

'Aquilla. I need you to take this letter to Blaise please. Wait for a reply.' He said, tied the letter to her leg and the owl hooted in reply. He watched her fly off into the distance then walked over to sit on his bed. He fell backwards into his pillows, staring at the roof. He sighed. It was going to be a long night. So much had happened today that he couldn't explain. He was confused, angry and terrified at the same time. He lay there contemplating for what seemed like hours before he heard the tapping of glass. Aquilla had returned. He jumped off his bed and retrieved the owl from outside. He gave her a treat to which she hooted happily, detached Blaise's letter and then she flew off back to the owlery. He opened it and began to read.

_Draco,  
I wish you'd give us more time alone. But I suppose it will be ok for you to come visit us. Swing by tomorrow afternoon.  
B.A.Z._

He shrugged at Blaise's annoyance; he would get over it eventually. He placed the letter on his desk and went back to sitting on his bed. A knock at his door made him jump. He cleared his throat.

'Come in.' He wished he hadn't said that because his father came in at that moment. 'What do you want?' He sneered at him.

'Tisk, Tisk. That is no way to speak to your own father.' He said coldly. Draco snorted.

'If you were a proper father, you wouldn't be forcing me into doing all these stupid things.' He retorted. Lucius remained calm.

'It would be wise to keep your mouth shut boy. You know very well what I'm capable of.' Draco said nothing but turned away from him. Lucius's anger flared and he glided over the room, smacking Draco in the face. 'You will look at me when I'm addressing you, you insolent boy.' He smacked him across the face again, Draco flinching at the pain his hand had just inflicted. 'I came here to tell you something of importance, boy. We are going to meet the girl you will marry tomorrow afternoon. You will dress properly and behave like a gentleman. Is that clear?' He didn't say anything. Lucius slammed his fist into his face again, he heard a crack which elicited a cry of pain. 'I said, is that clear?'

'Yes, sir.' Lucius stared at him.

'I raised you to be better than this, Draco. Perhaps it's time I reinstalled some of those techniques I used to train you with when you were younger. It seems you've lost your way. We're purebloods son. Muggles and mudbloods are filth. You'd do well to remember your place. Now, clean up your act boy. You will not drag our name through the mud.' He said and glided out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Draco held his face, which was in agony, and curled up into a ball on his bed. His father was insane. No one's blood was superior. He had known as such when Granger had hit him square in the nose in third year. Possibly even before then.

_Well there goes his plans for tomorrow afternoon._

He called for Minky. A little house elf in a blush pink potato sack appeared and rushed to his side when he saw his nose was broken. She snapped her fingers to set it right back into place, causing him to moan again in pain. Then she conjured a towel to clean up the mess. He smiled at her when she had finished cleaning him up.

'Thank you Minky.'

'It is my duty to serve, Master Draco. Master Lucius should not be hurting his son.' She covered her mouth and looked for something to punish herself with, but couldn't see anything around her, so she started hitting herself.

'Bad Minky. You must not speak ill of your masters. Bad Minky. Bad. Bad. Bad.'

'Minky. Stop. Stop. It is ok. I agree with you.' He said. She bowed and popped out, leaving him to his thoughts.

Well, his life was screwed. What was new? He just hoped that the girl wasn't horrible.

_She can't be any worse than your father._

He sighed. He had better inform Blaise. He unfolded himself and walked to the desk again, pulled out a piece of parchment and began to write.

_Blaise,  
My father has just (brutally) informed me that I am going to meet my so-called future wife tomorrow afternoon. So, I won't be able to come. Have fun bonding. I'll drop by some other time soon.  
D.M. _

He went to the window and called Aquilla again. She flew down from the owlery and pecked him in annoyance.

'Ow. Aquilla. Quit it. I'm sorry. But I really need you to deliver this to Blaise again please. Don't wait for a reply.' She pecked him again but obeyed his orders. He watched her fly beyond the boundaries of the manor before he yawned, making his way over to his bed. He got under the covers and fell asleep immediately, dreading what was to come tomorrow.

* * *

(Blaise POV)

Blaise hadn't been able to sleep, his mind still reeling with excitement. He was lying on his bed, tossing the quaffle again and staring at the enchanted stars above him. He had heard shuffling about in the room next to him, but that had stopped a couple of hours ago. He smiled.

_At least she was trying to get some sleep. _

He had received a letter from Draco earlier, asking if he could come over, yet again. It was really starting to bother him. He just wanted some quality alone time with Elles. He wanted to get to know her. There was a lot more to her than what she had revealed in school. He marvelled at his sudden change of personality. He felt so mature. He supposed it was from the war. All that prejudice that once was deep inside him was gone. It was liberating.

He looked up when he heard tapping at his window. Aquilla, Draco's owl, had returned once again. He groaned and got out of bed to retrieve the letter.

_What on earth did he want now?_

He untied the letter and noticed that the bird didn't wait, instead, she spread her impressive plumage and flew back in the direction of England.

_Gods, she's been a long way tonight._

He opened the letter and read it through twice.

_So, he is meeting the girl tomorrow. How interesting. At least I'll get to be alone with my sister. _

He went back to the first sentence and frowned. Lucius had beat him up again. He tried to contain his anger. He wanted to take both his sister and Draco to the aurors right away. But given the recent events of the war, having memories was not enough to convict a person. Apparently, there was a memory altering spell, which could lie undetected. He had read in the Daily Prophet that they had convicted an innocent man for stealing a bunch of wands from Ollivander's, but Ollivander proved that they were sorely mistaken for that man had paid for the wand he had bought. Turns out he had been framed by a jealous colleague who had stashed multiple wands amongst his possessions. Therefore, it would take a lot more than a vial of memories to prove Lucius was guilty. He sighed. What was the world coming to?

He went back to bed, picking up and tossing the quaffle as he did so, trying to wrap his head around this new development with Draco. Arranged pureblood marriages weren't an uncommon thing, but as they became scarcer in numbers, the inbreeding depression spread. More and more purebloods were becoming squibs every day. It was a terrifying thought. If He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had his way, magic could have been wiped off the face of the planet within the century. He was glad Harry had defeated him.

He worried about Draco though. Whoever Lucius had chosen for him to marry was most likely going to be already related to them. He shuddered at the thought. Draco would not be happy if his child ended up being a squib. He could barely handle muggles on their own. Blaise sighed. At least his family, although considered pure, had been smart enough to marry into families who weren't even related to them. He had even heard that they had some well-kept secret halfblood lineages along the line, but the coefficients weren't high enough for them to be considered 'unpure'. But being a pureblood family didn't matter much to him anymore. They could still be a wealthy family without the blood status. Blaise sighed and thought about his love life. The only girl he'd ever been interested in was Daphne, but she was with Theo now and he had accepted that. They were nearly perfect together. Daphne did have a younger sister, Astoria, but since she was cut off from her family, they hadn't spoken. Astoria was as beautiful as Daphne, but apparently acted like a spoiled brat, so he had left that idea out in the bin. He didn't need some spoiled rich girl floundering away his money. He also didn't have many girlfriends during school and those that he did have either died during the war or were besotted with other guys. He wondered if Ellie knew of anyone. Maybe he could travel and find another witch abroad. He honestly didn't care if they were pureblood or not. Love was love. But he would have to get to know his sister first before asking. Gain her trust. She still hesitated a bit around him which annoyed him. They would work on that. Eventually she would learn to trust him and his friends. The first step was to show her around the estate tomorrow.

He finally placed the quaffle down, his arms were getting tired. He closed his eyes, just hoping that he might get some sleep tonight. He gave up after ten minutes. His body was too awake.

_Maybe, I should go check on her. _

He got out of bed and tiptoed quietly across his room, into the bathroom and then into her room. When he walked in, he was surprised to see her sitting up.

'Blaise?' She asked. 'What are you still doing up?' He smiled at her.

'I couldn't sleep. I came to check on you. Why are you still awake?' He threw the question back at her.

'I couldn't sleep either. There's just too much going on in my head.' She said, pulling her blankets closer to her. He closed the gap between himself and her bed. He sat on the opposite side of her leaning up against the headboard.

'You want to talk about it?' He asked. She shook her head.

'Not really. Tell me something about yourself Blaise.' She turned to him. He mentally noted she had avoided talking about something but he would make sure that he'd eventually find out what was causing her insomnia, so he left it. They were twins after all.

'Hmm. What do you want to know?' He screwed his face up in thought.

'How about your favourite subject?' She said.

'That's easy. Potions. How about yours?'

'Ugh, such a Slytherin answer. That's a tough one, I love everything. Everything apart from divination that is…um…Charms or Arithmancy.' He felt her move closer. 'Your turn. Ask me another question.'

'Hmm, favourite colour?' She giggled and sidled up even closer to him.

'Seriously? What a boring question. That would be purple.' She said. 'What's yours, blue?' She guessed, staring up at him.

'It is more of a turquoise colour but I do enjoy the colour of my room thank you very much.' He said, poking her in the side and making her giggle. 'You should decorate your room purple though. I think it would look really nice. Maybe, a plum colour for the duvet and drapes and a lighter colour for walls, gold trimmings on the furnishings…' His voice trailed off and he turned to see her staring up with him with wide eyes. 'What?' He asked with curiosity.

'Nothing. I think you've found your calling, Blaise. Interior Design.' She said, poking her tongue out when he tried to tickle her. 'I meant it as a compliment.' He chuckled.

'I know. Thank you. I've just always had an eye for that kind of thing. Anyway, your turn.' He tapped her on the shoulder like they were playing a game of tag.

'What do you want to do when you graduate?' Her voice was serious.

_What did he want to do? _

He had dabbled with the idea of being a potions master or a healer but was leaning more towards being a healer. He had always found Magical Maladies interesting and loved the satisfaction when he could help fix someone's problems.

'A healer.' He said eventually. 'What about you, miss bookworm? You could have any job you want I bet.'

'Hmm, I'm not entirely sure what I'd want to do. I've always been interested in Law Enforcement though. I had a little campaign throughout school. S.P.E.W. Maybe the improper use of magic department or the mistreatment of magical creatures.' She said. He remembered her annoying little campaign well. She had chased down the Slytherins for a week to get them to take badges. They had taken them just so she would go away. Typical Slytherin behaviour. He had to admit, the job would suit her capabilities though.

'Yeah. Sounds like you're heading in the right direction.' They smiled at each other.

'Your turn.' She said. They kept asking questions to each other until finally Hermione fell asleep on Blaise's shoulder. Blaise yawned. He wasn't too far behind. Brother and sister slept beside each other, together, they were blissfully unaware of the delighted scream that would awake them the following morning.


	11. Marriages and Morals

**Chapter 10**

* * *

Somewhere, on an island, in the middle of the North Sea, a storm was brewing. Violent waves crashed against the rocks, causing a spray of salty water to fizzle into the air. Lightning flashed across the sky and the thunder roared. The wind was blowing a dangerous gale but made no impact on the triangular prison that stood erect on the headland. Dark, ghostly figures flew around, guarding the building. All was secure.

In the nearby trees, a man in his fifties hid beneath his cloak. Watching. Waiting. Wand ready for the right time. He knew the tower well. He knew his target. His trusty broomstick sat beside him. He feared some of his friends were already gone. Sacrificed for the pain and suffering they had caused to others. It was a great loss. But his mission was clear. He couldn't go on without the rest of them.

_Do not fear my brothers and sisters, you'll soon be free._

He counted the flashes of lightning. One. He took a deep breath. Two. The figures had moved into position. Three. The time came and he took flight. He cast a dark form of the confundus charm on the guards then shouted multiple curses which broke the protection around the building. He muttered one final spell.

'Reducto.' His target blew to pieces, revealing his friends who were trapped on the inside. They were finally free. He told them to run. As far and as fast as they could, gathering what they needed. He would call them to a meeting later.

Then he was gone in a flash. No trace that he had been there. His friends tumbled out of the building and wandlessly disapparated as fast as they could.

The confundus charm wore off. Realising they had been manipulated, the ghastly screams of dementors could be heard. Moments later, ten dozen aurors appeared on the scene. It had happened again. Prisoners of Azkaban were on the loose.

* * *

(Hermione POV)

The sound of a delighted scream woke Hermione the next morning. She groaned and went to move but felt a weight around her shoulders which was preventing her. She frowned and opened her eyes and was greeted with a very asleep Blaise with his arm laying protectively over her. She looked to her door to see her mother with her hands covering her mouth in surprise. There was a little elf in green who stood sheepishly behind her. Savoy had blabbed. She nudged Blaise, but he did not wake up, instead he groaned and pulled her into a bear hug. Their mother began giggling at the sight. Hermione frowned again.

'Blaise, you're a big oaf. Wake up.' She kicked her leg back connecting with his shin. He woke up at the sudden pain, letting her go and falling off the bed. Hermione and her mother laughed.

'Ow. Sorella. That hurt.' He sat up rubbing her head and shin, giving her a glare.

'Serves you right, figlio (son). You were bear hugging poor Ellie to death.' He turned to see his mother in the doorway, his cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

'Sorry Ellie.' He said sheepishly, looking up at her. Their mother walked further into the room, sitting down on Hermione's trunk.

'Do not worry, figlia (daughter), he does that with his pillows too.' She said smirking the trademark smirk.

'Mamma, per favore non farlo. (Mum, please don't do this).' Blaise shot a warning look at his mother. She obviously took the warning hint as she then continued. 'When were you two going to tell me that you had returned?' A look of disapproval was evident on her face. She looked between them. Neither had spoken for a minute. 'Well?'

'We were going to surprise you and papa this morning.' Blaise said, standing and then resuming his seat next to his sister on the bed.

'Well surprise you did.' She said. Savoy was now whimpering at her side.

'I'm sorry master Blaise. Savoy told Sandy, who blabbed to Finch, who told mistress. Savoy disobeyed. Bad Savoy. Please punish me.' He said and came to stand at Blaise's side. Blaise got out of bed and crouched down next to the shaking elf. Hermione and Valentina looked on in interest.

'No harm done Savoy. She would have found out this morning anyway.' He smiled at the elf, who then began to burst out in tears and disapparated from the room. 'Sensitive little things, they are. He'll get over it.' He said, standing up and looking towards Hermione who looked at him with shock. She hadn't been expecting that. She really needed to change her attitude. Blaise was obviously not like any of the Slytherins she had met before.

'Figlio. Figlia. I would have liked to have been informed of your arrival. But, seeing as I just experienced that hilarious display, all is forgiven.' She said and stood up. She walked around to Hermione's side of the bed and gestured for her to stand. Hermione obeyed and was suddenly pulled into a firm hug. She breathed in her mother's scent. It was a comforting allure of lavender and jasmine. One hug and all her worries seemed to melt away in an instant.

'È così bella averti a casa (It's so nice to have you at home).' She released her and went to her son on the other side of the bed and gave him a hug too. Once finished, she glided to the door. 'Your papa and I would like to see you in the library in an hour.' She then elegantly left the twins in the room. Hermione had no idea what her mother had just said but turned to Blaise and raised an eyebrow.

'She said it is nice to have you home.' He said and she nodded in reply. 'We really need to give you Italian lessons.' He grinned at her before striding off to the bathroom to shower. Hermione stood in her room and looked around properly. She had yet to decorate it. She was reminded of Blaise's suggestion last night and went about rectifying the clean slate situation. She changed her sheets and drapes to a plum colour. But decided it would look better in a mulberry shade. Then she added a matching carpet. She coloured the walls a light cream colour, dusted with a shear layer of glimmer. Then added a white baseboard that went halfway up the wall with an intricate design. To finish she added gold trimmings around the room. She looked around and was quite satisfied with the look. Hermione then went over to her trunk and picked out some clothes. She waited until she heard the door of the bathroom unlock and went to have a shower. When she emerged 10 minutes later, she began to put things away. She put all her stationery in the writing desk and then went to put all the books on the bookshelf. When she went into the walk-in closet, her jaw dropped. About fifteen gorgeous gowns were hung up in there. The wardrobe was about thrice the size of her own at home and accommodated everything she could ever need. The opposite wall was completely mirror and somehow the glimmer from the walls outside had made its way into this room. She looked at the gowns. Each was stunningly beautiful in its own right. The first was a midnight blue with a silver top. The silver flowed into the blue giving it an ombre effect. The dress was covered in glitter. It had a plunging neckline and was long sleeved and fitted. Hermione had never owned anything so gorgeous in her life. The next dress was an emerald, halter neck dress. The top was embellished with silver designs and was belted to a bottom that was satin. She noticed there was a small side slit in the dress which went up to just past the knee. She went to look at the next one, but heard Blaise exclaim in the next room. He had obviously seen her newly decorated room. She reluctantly abandoned her wardrobe and went to see him.

'Blimey, Elles. You've done a better job than I imagined. It looks amazing. Are you ready for a tour?' He asked holding out his hand for her to take. She smiled at him and took his hand.

They walked out the door and down the hallway. Blaise began to explain.

'These paintings are all of the Zabini descendants who have stayed in this wing of the house.' All the paintings marvelled at her and walked between portraits, whispering to each other. 'Ours will be up here one day.' He said, smiling at her. When they reached the staircase, he stopped and spoke again. 'The other wing on this floor is much the same except it's our parents. One larger room, a bathroom and a private study. ' Hermione nodded and they descended the stairs. 'The second floor is home to the billiards room, two music rooms, the drawing room, a bathroom, the living room, the gallery, a few studies and of course the library.' Hermione's eyes lit up. Blaise chuckled. 'Come on, you little bookworm.'

They toured the rest of the impressive house. The first floor had a grand foyer, the ballroom, a parlour, the dining room, another living area, the kitchens, two bathrooms and a laundry room. Hermione was very impressed. They got to the kitchens last and a couple of elves came rushing over to them. Hermione was reminded of the kitchens at Hogwarts. How the elves would rush over to you when you went in. She inwardly smiled at the memory. It made her feel more at home. Looking up from the elves, she became enchanted by the room before her. The kitchen was a very rustic, country style kitchen. The window above the sink exposed a very panoramic view of the garden which could be accessed via a glass door onto the alfresco area. A modern conventional oven and stove sat up against one wall. The opposite wall went into a large walk-in pantry. The kitchen was decked out with modern appliances run by magic. A very large island with chairs sat in the middle of the room. A few elves were slaving away over the stove and benches, cleaning them up. What impressed Hermione the most was the beautiful crystal chandelier that hung majestically above the island. It was her dream kitchen. The elves welcomed them in, gave both her and Blaise a breakfast muffin and juice and they sat at the island. Hermione was gobsmacked at the beauty of the room. Blaise watched her intently and ate in silence. When they had both finished, Blaise then spoke again.

'Right. We should probably get back to the library, mamma and papa will be waiting.' Hermione jumped up and pulled him along with her. 'Whoa. Slow down my little nerd, I know you're excited.' Hermione rolled her eyes, he chuckled, but let her pull him along. When they got to the library, both of their parents were seated in the middle under another impressive crystal chandelier. Hermione still marvelled at how amazing the library was. Books were stacked from floor to ceiling in a circular formation around the room. The room was split level to accommodate all the books and there were a few more shelves in the middle. It was a comfy abode and Hermione knew she could spend a lot of time in there. Blaise pulled her by the shoulders and sat her down in front of their parents. 'Whoa, don't get too excited sis.' She poked her tongue at him and he grinned.

'Eleanora, that is not very ladylike.' Her mother reprimanded her, Blaise snickered and she shot a glare at him.

'I miei figli (my children). Now that you're both home, there is something we need to discuss.' Roberto started. 'As you both know, your final year at Hogwarts is coming up. We need to discuss your futures. In particular, marriage.' Both Blaise and Hermione stood up.

'What? Marriage? You can't do this. We're too young.' They shouted. Roberto sighed and rubbed his moustache, obviously this was a hard topic for him.

'Siedi, figli miei (Sit, my children). Naturally, this is not something I had wanted to discuss with you right now, but we were approached by others. Blaise. Lionel and Sandra MacDougal have approached us about a marriage deal between you and one of their twin daughters, Isobel and Morag. They are both in Ravenclaw house and are half-bloods. Their estate has many assets which could be beneficial to us in society. Blaise, you understand that as we are associated with many blood supremist families, people assume our beliefs are the same. This union could help with our image. That we do not care for blood. Now we have not said anything to them as of yet but we would like to know what you think.' He finished. Hermione could tell he wasn't done, but he was reluctant to say anymore. She looked to Blaise. He was frowning.

'Papa. I do not wish to be forced into marrying someone I do not love.' He said. Their parents nodded.

'We believed as such, but we do request that you go on one date with either of them, and if you still dislike the idea we will not go through with the deal.' Roberto said. Hermione heard Blaise sigh in relief.

'Alright papa. I will go on a date but make it Isobel. Morag gives me the creeps.' He shuddered. His father nodded and turned to Hermione.

'Now, Ellie, dear. I had wished this day wouldn't have come so soon.' He sighed, struggling to get the words out. 'We were approached by Lucius Malfoy…' She jumped up.

'NO. NO. NO. I will not marry Draco Malfoy. We do not get along at all. He called me a mudblood for years. He insults me. No, I will not…' Blaise stood in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders.

'Sit down Hermione. Let them explain.' She sat down and pouted.

'As we were saying, Lucius Malfoy approached us with a proposal to let his son marry you but we denied it straight on the spot. Lucius got mad. But we struck another deal that didn't involve your hand.' Her father explained. She visibly relaxed. She didn't have to marry him. Thank god.

'However, another family approached us. The McLaggen family. Your father works with Hugh McLaggen and has offered his son, Cormac's hand to yours. Hugh has told us that his son has apparently been quite smitten with you, ever since he met you during Professor Slughorn's club.' Her mother said. Hermione's jaw dropped a million miles. Blaise was snickering next to her. He knew exactly how much she hated Cormac from The Slug Club.

'The deal is the same as Blaise's. You will go on one date with Cormac. Ellie, I know you don't want to get married but I plead with you to seriously consider this offer. The McLaggen family is very wealthy and have no dark pasts. You would be very well off and I heard Cormac is quite the charmer.' Hermione nearly vomited. This was horrible. She would have to go on a date with Cormac. She knew she couldn't fight her parents on this but could she survive one date? One date with Cormac McLaggen. Her breakfast threatened to repeat on her, but she swallowed it. She took a deep breath. It seemed like she had no choice in the matter.

'Ok. One date.' She said finally. Her parents smiled in joy and then left the room. Hermione stared off into space. Her head spinning around with the news. Ugh. She would have to go on a date with that vile, arrogant git, who thought the world revolved around him. For goodness sake, he had hurt Harry in that Quidditch match because he thought he knew better than anyone else. Oh well. She'd suffer through hearing him talk nonstop about himself and coming on too strong because she didn't want to upset her parents.

'Hey, sis. You ok?' Blaise asked and put his hand on her shoulder. She swallowed hard and faced him.

'I'll be ok.' She said and stood to walk over to a bookcase.

'Really? This is McLaggen we're talking about here.' He joined her as she took out Dragonology Vol I. He took the book from her and she glared at him. 'Do you want me to come and hide in the background and make sure he doesn't make a pass at you?' He asked. She huffed a sigh.

'Blaise. It is sweet of you to offer but I'll be fine. Cormac may be vile, drag on about himself and be overly flirty but I can take care of myself. Besides, I will be Eleanora then.' She took out her wand and removed the glamour, putting herself back to Ellie's form.

'That doesn't make me feel any better Elles. You know what this form did to Draco, who knows what other boys will be like.' He said. She stood with her hands on her hips and pouted.

'Blaise. Stop being overprotective. I know what I'm doing.' She said and snatched the book back from him and put it back on the shelf. She continued to move along the bookcase.

'I know Elles. But…' He sighed in frustration. 'I don't want guys to take advantage of you. I know you're an amazingly strong witch but I still worry.' He said quietly.

She sighed. He wasn't going to let up. 'Alright then, if it makes you feel better, you can sit in background.' She giggled as he silently threw his fist it the air. 'If I didn't know better Blaise, I would say you wanted to go on a date with Cormac McLaggen yourself.' He dropped his jaw. 'You look like a codfish by the way.' She smirked.

'Oi. Watch it Missy.' He came towards her with an evil glint in his eye. 'I think it's time for the tickle monster.' He said with his arms stretched out.

'Oh no, you don't.' She took off around the library with him chasing after her. When Blaise finally caught her, a few minutes later and tickled her mercilessly, both had stitches from laughing so hard. They sat against a bookcase side by side, breathing heavily. She sighed.

'A sickle for your thoughts.' He said.

'Just still getting over everything that has been going on.' She replied.

'That's understandable. Do you want to talk about it?' She shook her head in disagreement. 'Alright, well, do you want a tour of the gardens?' He asked.

'Yes, please.' She said and he took her hand and helped her up. Brother and sister walked side by side to the garden, joking and laughing all the way. Their mother and father had been standing in the grand foyer, discussing business, when they walked past. They both jumped at the sight of Ellie in her true form but then relaxed and smiled at their children and then at each other.

Their family was finally together.

* * *

(Draco POV)

Draco put the Daily Prophet down, trying to rub the shock out of his eyes. The front-page article blared out at him.

**_MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN…AGAIN_**

_Andy Smudgley _

_Just when the wizarding world was finally getting back to being a land of peace, something terrible has happened. Ten or so prisoners from the high security prisoner cells of the island prison, Azkaban have escaped. The incident occurred at about two last night during a violent thunderstorm. Sources say that the dementors that guard the prison had been put under a dark variant of the confundus charm. The protection spells were also broken and the building was smashed apart in various places. Aurors were on scene within minutes but the perpetrator could not be found. The Auror Department have been tirelessly working to ensure that the prison be put back together as soon as possible with stronger enchantments, with the hope that they will be unbreakable. Aurors are beside themselves that someone managed to break through the extensive protections they had in place. Aurors confirmed a list of deatheaters who escaped and urge everyone to be on the lookout for these dangerous wizards. The list is as follows: Antonin Dolohov, Thorfinn Rowle, Augustus Rockwood, Corban Yaxley, Alecto Carrow and Amycus Carrow and five unknown others escaped. Their identities are yet to be confirmed. Be on watch readers. Anyone with information in relation to this breakout or sightings of those prisoners should contact aurors immediately. _

Just when everything was getting back to normal, something wild like that had to happen. He had a sneaky suspicion he knew who was behind it but didn't want to place the blame just yet. Draco stared at the paper whilst he finished his cup of tea. He was really starting to hate this world. Now that some of his friends were released, his father would more than likely get him involved in more screwed-up shenanigans. Now the thought of leaving seemed more enticing than ever. He knew he couldn't do it though. Maybe, he could hide out in Italy until the semester of Hogwarts began. That way he wouldn't have to be involved. Blaise wouldn't like it much. God knows what his sister would think. He dismissed himself from the table without a look to his parents and sauntered up the stairs to his bedroom. He wasn't very much in the mood to be meeting this girl, his so-called future wife, this afternoon. He stared at the clock. Eleven thirty. He supposed he had better get ready, they were meeting this girl in an hour. He took an extended shower, trying to wash all the misery out of his body, but to no avail. Then he went into his wardrobe and picked out a set of dress robes. He frowned. He hated wearing this garb. Give him a pair of pants and a nice button up shirt any day but a tuxedo? He would look like a fancy penguin trying too hard to impress. But he would get another beating if he didn't wear them so he put them on. He just hoped they weren't going somewhere public. Now that would be embarrassing. Draco looked at himself in the mirror and snorted at the sight. He really did hate wearing his dress robes. They made him look so pompous. He readjusted his cuff links and sighed. Well, here goes nothing.

He walked down to the grand foyer where both his parents were waiting. Narcissa smiled at him. His father frowned and stared at the clock.

'Oh son. You look so handsome. She'll just love you.' She said, hugging her son. Draco cringed. Of course, she would say that. She was his mother.

'Come you two or we'll be late.' His father huffed and walked towards the ballroom floo. Draco rolled his eyes, but they both followed him, silently, to the floo. Draco wondered what his best friend was up to now. Probably having fun with Granger. He still couldn't believe she was his sister. He thought that he would much rather be with them than where he was going. Even if Granger was there. At least she could hold an intellectually stimulating conversation.

_He would love to stare into those eyes again too. _

He scolded his head. Stop thinking about those damn eyes. You're meeting your future wife today. You need to get your head in the game. His father grabbed floo powder and hopped in.

'Ministry of Magic.' His father yelled and the next moment they were gone. Draco frowned. They were going to the Ministry? Why in the world would they be meeting them there? He looked ridiculous. It was a public place. He was going to be so embarrassed. He was sure his father just wanted to see him suffer_. _

_Well here goes nothing._

They stepped out of the green flames and walked towards the fountain in the atrium. A balding man was waiting, facing away and staring into the water. His father went to pat him on the back. The man's face lit up when he turned around and saw Draco. Draco was so confused by now. He had no idea who this man was, but he seemed so familiar. Had he met him before? Was he one of his friend's fathers? He racked his brain. Not Blaise's. Not Nott's. He hadn't even met Daphne's. No, definitely not Parkinson. Thank god.

'Oh Draco, my boy. So glad you could come. Come. Come. My daughter is keen to meet you. She is in my office.' He ushered him towards the elevators. They went to level 7. The Department of Magical Games and Sports. Now Draco was very confused. Who were these people? This man worked in the British Quidditch League Headquarters. A wealthy man indeed. The man led them to an office at the end. Head honcho, obviously. He really was a wealthy man. The man moved to the side of the door and Draco read the label on the door. Oh no. It couldn't be? Could it? Not her. Of all people. He could feel the bile rising in his throat. The door suddenly flung open and a girl hurled her arms around him; his suspicions were confirmed.

'Oh Draco, how great is it? We're going to be married. You. Me. Husband and wife. I can't believe it. All my dreams are coming true.' She was hugging him a little too tightly and he was struggling to breathe. He held back a whimper as she crushed his entire body against hers. The girl in front of him had not changed in the last five years he had known her. What a cruel trick of fate.

_Astoria-Fricking-Greengrass. _

'Tori, let me go. I can't breathe.' He said.

_Ugh. Just his luck._

He was stuck with the spoiled brat the rest of his life. She loosened her grip.

'Sorry Draco, I'm just so excited.' She said and stepped back. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Draco observed her. She was indeed a beautiful girl with ebony hair, pale skin and high cheekbones, lovely blue eyes and a good-looking figure. But as much as he wanted to feel something for her and as much as he wanted to desperately feel like he was not doomed, he felt nothing. Nothing but disdain. He was doomed.

_Maybe she had annoyed him too much during school. _

_Maybe he just hated the fact he was being forced to marry her._

_Maybe he couldn't get the thought of another brunette out of his head. _

Astoria's blue eyes did not even come close to the enchanting, amber ones of Granger's. He compared them. Hermione's face was like sunshine, speckled with freckles whereas Astoria's was dull and cold with not a single blemish. What was he doing? He was comparing his future wife with bloody Granger. He was losing his mind. He didn't like Granger. Sure, he had realised she was attractive but he didn't like her. Nope. No way.

'So, Draco. You and Tori obviously know each other.' Mr. Greengrass said. 'This makes the union a lot easier. Obviously my first child would have been more appropriate, but unfortunately, she is not a Greengrass anymore. She is a blood traitor with that Nott boy. Quite horrific and from two powerful pureblood families too.' He was rambling. 'You're not still friends with those two blood traitors, are you, boy? If you are, I can not allow you to marry my daughter.'

_What? Mr. Greengrass was giving him a way out. _

And he was going to take it.

'Well actually…' His father hit him on the back and gave him a stern look.

_Damn it. He was a coward. _

'No, sir. I am not.' He felt so ashamed. He would lose two of his best friends over a girl he didn't even like. He was a bloody coward. He wanted to tell the truth but his father always ruled his life. He just couldn't afford to be disowned. He couldn't afford to leave his mother.

'Good. Well that settles it. You and Astoria will be married when the next school year is over.' Mr. Greengrass said. Astoria squealed and threw herself around him again.

_Ugh. He would have to get used to that. _

'Draco. I can't wait for our wedding. I have been waiting for this day all my life.' She said and started rambling on about wedding details which she had obviously picked out from a young age. The girl was insane. That was what she was. Merlin. Their kids were going to be just as bad.

_Ugh. I have to have kids with her._

That was a giant kick to the gut. He felt disgusted. He certainly didn't want to do the deed with her. Now he wanted out more than ever. But how? He had about a year to figure it out. Somehow.

'Norman. Did you read the paper this morning?' Lucius asked. Draco tuned out Astoria and listened in to the men's conversation.

'Yes. It was an interesting turn of events. Just when everything was getting back to normal.' Norman gave Lucius a knowing look.

_Those bastards know something about it. _

'Draco. Draco. Draco.' She snapped her fingers in front of his face. 'Have you been listening to me?' She asked, then put her hands on her hips. His blank look obviously annoyed her. 'I was saying, what wedding would you prefer? A traditional church wedding or a destination?' He shrugged.

'Up to you, Astoria. Whatever you decide will be great, I'm sure.' He said nonchalantly.

_Damn it, Tori. He missed their conversation. _

'I'm so sorry Lucius. I must get going now. I have a lot to organise in terms of the Quidditch World Cup coming up. It's a pleasure doing business with you.' They shook hands. 'Draco.' He extended his hand and Draco shook it.

'Astoria. Come, love.' He said and they walked back into his office.

'Bye, Draco. See you soon, darling.' She drawled. Draco internally shuddered. The girl oozed of freak. He knew his life would be miserable.

'Well that went well.' Lucius said, rubbing his hands together. 'Narcissa. Come darling. Draco. Let's go.' They walked back down to the atrium. All the while, Draco was trying to decide what to do to get out of this arrangement. Most of the plans that were in his head would be futile though.

He'll get out of this. He didn't know how but he would. The thought of the other raven-haired beauty came to mind and he smirked. Yes. Of course. How could he not see it before? She was intelligent beyond her years. She could think of something to help him out of this mess. There should be a loophole somewhere in the laws. But getting her to trust him enough to help him out was another thing entirely. He trailed along behind his parents, ignoring the obvious stares he was receiving, racking his brains as to how he would get Granger to help him. He barely registered he had entered the floo network.

By the time they returned to Malfoy Manor, Draco had formulated a plan.

* * *

**Hehehe, who liked the twist I threw in here? I bet you didn't see that coming. Hope you're enjoying this story. This chapter will be the last one for a while sorry. I'm getting pretty busy.**


	12. Making Plans

**Chapter 11**

* * *

(Theo POV)

Daphne had not been right for days. She had been slipping in and out of the prophecy trance and Theo was now getting worried. If she supressed the prophecy for too much longer, the prophecy would explode out of her and it could potentially cause her some mental damage. It was hard enough giving a prophecy without supressing it. He knew she was going to be so exhausted. So much so, that she could possibly be out for days. But Theo hoped it wouldn't happen today. They were going to see the twins at Zabini Manor. It had been almost two weeks since they had left now. Plenty of time for Eleanora to settle in. Apparently, she had removed the glamour and had changed back to her 'true form' which had made them even more excited to actually see her. Blaise had said she looked like a female version of himself which was hard for him to imagine. He had been sitting at his desk, staring at the Gringotts bank statements and wondering why they were in so much debt. Every time he calculated the summary, he was always coming up short. Something wasn't right. He cursed his father for making so many dodgy deals whilst he was alive. He had no idea who half of these companies were. Black market traders or those involved in the dark arts, he assumed. He set the statement down and groaned in frustration, rubbing his face with his hands. The door opened and he looked up over his glasses to see Daphne carrying a tray of tea. He smiled. Right on time as per usual. She set the tea down and he kissed her cheek in appreciation.

'Thanks love. This was exactly what I needed.' He said as she poured him a cup.

'Accounts not making any sense still, are they?' She replied and he shook his head.

'I'm afraid not. Something just isn't adding up right. I don't understand where all these payments are going to. I just don't know how we're going to get through this love.' He shrugged. 'These debts on top of the upkeep of this manor. It's just too much. Besides, I'm getting nowhere with finding a job.' He tensed. It was just getting too hard and overwhelming. He barely made it through the war, now he had to navigate adulthood so quickly after it. It made him wish he had died in the war. His girlfriend stood behind him and soothingly rubbed his shoulders. Daphne. He took that statement back. She was his rock. His whole world. His everything. The only reason he was still living. With her by his side, he knew they could get through anything. The war had already proven such.

'Maybe we could sell the manor. Put everything we want in storage. The profit could help pay off the debt and we could start again after we graduate. Find a new place to live.' Daphne said. Now that was why he loved her. She always had a solution for everything wrong in his life.

'I suppose you're right. I hadn't thought about that. This is my childhood home but we don't really need all this space. Besides, I hate that someday our children will grow up in a house that once was the home of something so evil.' He said, sliding his glasses back up his nose. 'To be frank, at this stage, I think we have no other choice. Are you sure you'd want to give this up?' He asked her, putting his hand over hers.

'Theo. We've lived the big manor life our whole lives. This past month we've proven we can do things for ourselves. I think it's time to let our past go and move on to our future. A smaller cottage by the seaside would be nice.' She said wistfully. He smiled at her.

'Alright. If you're sure. Then I'm in. We'll go down to Talisman Real Estates tomorrow and put it on the market. I'm not sure where we'll stay for the next month and a half before school though. Maybe we can convince the Zabini's to let us stay. Work on the prophecy.' He said with a glint of hopefulness in his eye. Daphne had that glaze in her eyes again. His tone got serious again. 'Daph. Are you sure you want to go see the Zabini's today?' He asked with concern. She shook her head, blocking the prophecy once more before nodding.

'Of course, I want to go see Blaise and Eleanora. Stop being so silly. I'm fine. What else have we got to do anyway?' She joked and pushed his concerns to the side.

'Alright then, Daph.' He said, still worried about what may happen later that day.

* * *

(Draco POV)

Draco had his plan all sorted out in his head; however, he hadn't had a chance to leave. It had been two weeks since his father's announcement of Draco's engagement to Astoria Greengrass. Every day since then, Astoria had come over, bumbling with excitement over wedding plans. He had tried to excuse himself multiple times but his mother had chastised him for not wanting to spend time with his 'bride'. So, he had to sit through every tedious decision that Astoria, her mother and his mother made. It was horrifying. They were currently talking about bridesmaid dress colours and couldn't decide between turquoise because 'it went so well with his steel grey eyes' or a blush pink 'Astoria's favourite colour'. He sulked in his chair, disregarding everything the girls were saying. He hadn't even had the chance to tell his friends what had happened yet.

His mind was making modifications to the plan. He would ask to go to the Zabini's house to make the 'announcement' but rather than come back, he would stay there. Then came the tricky part of begging Granger for her forgiveness. He had multiple ideas as to how he could do that. Seduce her. Which seemed ridiculous because all she had ever shown him was scorn. Bribe her. It just seemed like something the old him would do and he was done playing that game. Be genuine with her. It seemed like the only logical thing to do. He had royally screwed up her life and this was the only way to fix it.

'Draco. Draco? He's not listening again. Seriously, I will need to do something about that. DRACO.' Astoria snapped her fingers at him and he shook himself out of his reverie. 'There we go. Much better. Draco, our mothers and I are going out to lunch in Diagon Alley. Would you care to join?' She asked, trying overly hard to be sweet. When he didn't answer right away, she pouted and her eyes glistened. 'Please Draco. I feel like you hardly ever give me the time of day. Do you not like me?' She said.

_Abort mission. Or perhaps…_

He pulled her onto his lap. 'No, Tori. Love.' He nearly gagged. 'It's not that at all. Of course, I like you. I just have a lot on my mind. Like now, for example, I have been meaning to go see my friends. However, I've been spending so much time with you, I haven't been able to go see them, which is making them very worried. You see, I have not been contacting them which is unusual for me. They do not know about us yet.' He stopped and lifted her chin with his finger. 'Do you think you could spare me this afternoon, so I can put their minds at rest? I promise we will spend more time together when I get back.'

_Ugh. I can't believe I just did that. But for manipulation's sake. _

He saw her face contemplate his statement. He threw in a smile for good measure. She was losing the battle, he knew it. He was laying it on a little thick but no girl could resist this charming technique. He knew it. Maybe it could work with Granger. He doubted it. She was smarter than that. He was still waiting for Astoria to reply. She suddenly gave in.

_Yes. Point for Draco._

'Ok Draco. I will let you go see your friends. Maybe, I can go pick out a dress I like this afternoon.' She said, kissed his cheek and jumped up to go join her mother. He blushed in embarrassment. That was a horrendous display. When no one was looking, he wiped his cheek and then he looked up to see his mother giving him a knowing look. Shit. Not so discrete after all. He never could hide from his mother though. But she let it slide and the three of them went off to Diagon Alley and left him in peace. 

He hurried upstairs and packed what he needed into his trunk. He then shrunk it down to fit it in his pocket, grabbed a hoodie out of his closet and put it on. He was going to need to go to Gringotts. His funds were low and he would have to withdraw enough to get him to his next trip there. He looked at himself in the mirror. This was probably the best disguise he was going to get. He then walked downstairs quietly, avoiding any elves he saw and then ran out the front door towards the apparition point. The next moment, he was gone.

* * *

His apparition took him straight outside the apothecary at the furthest end of Diagon Alley. He looked around and pulled his hoodie in closer, masking his face from others around him. He did not need any more publicity. Making a beeline through the crowd, he strode towards the bank. The crowd was horribly thick and he hadn't moved very far when he bumped into someone.

'Sorry.' He mumbled.

'Draco? What are you doing here?'

_Oh great. Pansy Parkinson. _

She grabbed his arm as he tried to barge past.

'Draco. What's the rush?' She asked, trying to pull off a seductive voice.

_Ugh. As if he was going to fall for that._

He pulled his arm out of her clasp and dove back in the crowd, not daring to look back at her. He continued on down the alley, strategically moving to the opposite side when he passed the restaurant, he most definitely knew the girls were at until he finally reached Gringotts. He hurried inside and up to the goblin manning the front desk. He cleared his throat.

'I need to make a withdrawal.' He spoke clearly. The goblin, who looked thoroughly unamused raised one eyebrow at him but was taken aback when he saw who was standing in front of him.

'Of course. Right this way, Mr. Malfoy.' The goblin jumped off his stool and beckoned him to follow him behind the gates leading to the cart that would take them down to the Malfoy fortune. The cart twisted and turned along the underground passageways, deeper and deeper, down to the bottom where the oldest wizarding family's vaults stood. The cart screeched to a halt and Draco got out behind the goblin.

'Vault number seven hundred and fifty-six. Mr. Malfoy, do you have the enchantment?' The goblin asked with a sneer. Draco leaned down to him to whisper the enchantment.

'Indeed, you are correct.' The goblin then traced an intricate design on the door which Draco had just described and the door unlocked.

Inside there were piles and piles of golden galleons, silver sickles and bronze knuts, rubies, emeralds, diamonds and sapphires. Priceless items of jewellery lay on shelves around the walls. Many precious (and dark) items were also scattered around the room. Draco was unphased by it, having been there multiple times. He pulled a bag out of his satchel, which had an extendable charm on it and started collecting as many coins as he could as he wasn't sure how much he would need. When he believed he had enough money, he collected a few items of jewellery from his mother's personal collection. He had no idea if he needed them, but just in case he needed to bribe someone, he supposed they'd might come in handy. He placed the bag into his satchel. Exiting the vault, the door resealed itself and they climbed into the cart again, all the while the goblin continued to sneer at him.

_Goblins. Clever bastards but so bloody rude. _

The cart took off again up to the entrance hall of the bank. Upon arriving, Draco jumped out, thanked the goblin and went on his merry way. Once outside, in Diagon Alley, he quickly looked around to see if he knew anyone and then swiftly merged back into the foot traffic, walking towards The Leaky Cauldron. He would floo to Italy from there. He suddenly saw the three girls come out of a nearby shop called, Twilfitt and Tatting's, his mother's favourite robes shop, and he swiftly ducked behind some owls out the front of Eeylops Owl Emporium to avoid being seen. He watched them from behind a majestic snowy owl as they walked in the opposite direction towards a jewellery vendor further up the alley. He pulled his hoodie closer again and slipped back into the foot traffic. This time, keeping his head low and walking briskly. When he was about to enter the pub, he accidentally ran into someone.

'Watch it…, Malfoy.' The voice of the red-headed man sneered at him. Just his luck. He was in no mood to deal with this unstable third of the Golden Trio.

'Diagon Alley, Weaselbee? Surely, you've made a wrong turn, you evidently can't afford anything here.' Draco said pointedly, looking at his tattered outfit and brushed past him into the pub without waiting for his reaction.

The pub was busier than usual. Tom the barman looked like he was run off his feet and every table seemed to be filled. Draco looked around and saw a few reporters sitting not too far away. Shit. Well he'll have to try and keep a low profile then. The last thing he wanted was to be interviewed by the Prophet bimbos about his life since the war. So, he avoided the table of reporters and went in the opposite direction, making sure his head was bowed low. Navigating the pub was hard as it was over capacity, and by the time he reached the floos, he had nearly tripped over people's legs three times. Now he was in an even more cranky mood than ever.

He grabbed some floo powder and disappeared to Zabini Manor.

* * *

He was greeted by Sandy again, who had told him that the 'master' and 'mistress' had gone into Florence for the morning and should be arriving home at any minute. The elf had all but shoved him into the grand foyer and told him to sit and wait.

_God, free elves could be so rude._

Dobby had been that way too when Potter had freed him. He was glad Minky hadn't been freed, but that didn't mean he treated her like crap. He loved his house elf and wasn't sure what he'd do without her. He sat in the foyer and sighed. He wondered how long it was going to take for them to get back. Leaning back against the stone wall, he closed his eyes and breathed in the atmosphere, relaxation spreading across his body. He had escaped his doom. Well at least for now.

'Draco?' He opened his eyes to see the patriarch of the Zabini Estate standing in the hallway. 'Dear, boy. What are you doing here?' He asked, the shock was evident in his voice.

'I'm here to see Blaise and Eleanora. But seeing as you are here, I was wondering if I could ask you a favour.' Mr. Zabini nodded for him to go on. 'I was wondering, if I'd be able to stay in the guest quarters until school goes back. You see. The tension at home is rising and I'm not sure I can stick around there. I'd hate to be a burden but unfortunately I have no where else to go.' Draco finished. Hopefully, the man would see he was desperate.

Mr. Zabini, knowing exactly what kind of man Lucius was, nodded his head in response. 'Of course, dear boy, it will be no trouble at all. Stay as long as you need. The twins will be along any minute now, lunch will be served in half an hour.' The man ascended the staircase and walked towards the southern end of the manor.

'Thank you, sir.' Draco called after him. Well that solved one of his issues. He suddenly heard voices outside the front entrance. Blaise and Granger had returned. When they entered the door, arms full of shopping, they froze and stared at him. Granger spoke first. Well, Eleanora now.

'Malfoy. What are you doing here?' She asked.

'Draco. What happened to you? I haven't heard from you since you said you were going to meet the girl your father arranged for you to marry. Who was she? Do I know her? Was she horrible? Was she…?' Draco raised his hand to cut him off.

'Blaise, slow down. I will explain all if you give me a minute. Perhaps it would be best over lunch. Your father mentioned it would be served in half an hour.' Draco said coolly. He wasn't sure how he was going to explain this to them. He supposed he had no choice but to be honest and straight forward.

'Alright. Well. I'm going to my room. See you in a bit, bro.' Ellie took her purchases and ascended the staircase heading towards the northern end of the house. Draco followed her with his eyes, raking in her true form. It was even better than he remembered. He suddenly felt hot and his cheeks flushed from the heat. Blaise cleared his throat. Draco snapped his head back to him.

'If you're done ogling my sister, can we get back to why you're here? More importantly, how long you intend to stay.' Blaise said, raising his eyebrows and folding his arms across his chest.

'Um…let's go to your room first.' He said, feeling uneasy and a bit swept off his feet. Blaise looked sceptical but obliged. When they got there, Blaise attacked him.

'So, tell me, who is she?' He asked.

'Who?' Draco asked, still one hundred percent perplexed by the raven beauty he knew was next door.

'The new minister of magic, no, your future wife, Draco. Honestly. Where is your head?'

'Oh, that. Astoria Greengrass.' He said nonchalantly and stared out the window into a nearby vineyard where some elves were picking some grapes.

'Astoria Greengrass? You're going to marry Astoria Greengrass? The pureblood socialite brat? Daphne's younger sister? Merlin. I'm so sorry mate. She'll make your life miserable. Actually, what did Mr. Greengrass say when you said you were friends with Daphne?' He asked. Draco didn't even look at him. He was still focused on the girl he had just seen moments ago. Those amber eyes which could search the depths of the soul. He barely registered what Blaise had said.

'Nothing. Because I didn't tell him.' He replied a moment later.

'You didn't tell him?' Blaise asked. Draco sighed and forced his mind back to the conversation.

'I was a coward. My father…' Blaise cut him off.

'Enough said. So, you're marrying Astoria Greengrass. Wow. How do you feel about that?'

'How do you think I feel? Merlin. She is so irritating, so spoiled. She'll use the entire Malfoy fortune for her own selfish plans. I won't be able to get away from my father's exploits. I will be stuck making dodgy deals for the rest of my life. I would rather marry a toilet than her.' Blaise laughed at the last bit. 'What? Well at least a toilet won't spend all my money.' Blaise was still laughing. Draco frowned and threw his quaffle full ball at him. It hit him square in the face.

'Ow. Alright, I guess I deserved that, but you can't blame me. The image of you standing at the alter with a toilet by your side is hilarious. I can see all the headlines now_. "Malfoy heir forgoes witch wife for toilet", "Malfoy finally masters the potty". _(Another 10 points for this reference).

'Alright, enough, Blaise.' Draco said. He had to admit it was quite a funny thought. They began chuckling a moment later, only stopping when a knock came on the bathroom door.

'Come in, Ellie.' Blaise said. When she came through the door, Draco immediately blushed again. He was starting to get freaked out by how much she was affecting him.

_Come on Draco. Get a hold of yourself. She's a bloody girl for goodness sake. She is GRANGER!_

As much as he tried to stop the way he was feeling, his body refused to listen. She went straight over to Blaise who put his arm around her. They were talking about something. He couldn't really focus on what was being said though. His gaze was solely on her. Her tame, brunette curls fell over her shoulders like water pouring over a waterfall and her tanned skin glowed in the midday sun. He started to compare her to Astoria again. Astoria definitely didn't have a trifle on her.

_Bloody hell, Draco. Stop it._

She looked over to him and flushed under the intensity of his gaze. He couldn't believe she could get any more beautiful than that moment. Blaise pulled her closer and coughed again, throwing an intense glare at him.

'Right. I'm starving. Let's go down for lunch.' Blaise said, dragging his sister out the door. 'You coming, Draco?' He threw the glare over the shoulder back to him. Draco knew he would get an ear lashing later, but right now, he didn't really care. He got up and followed the twins to the dining room. Blaise and Ellie kept talking whilst Draco silently observed them from behind. He was so confused as to why he was suddenly feeling this way about her. Blaise had seen him too. He would no doubt be screamed at later for that kind of behaviour. He inwardly groaned. Why did he react so much to her? He admitted that she was attractive but so was Astoria and she didn't make him feel that way. So why did Granger?

'So, Malfoy. How long are you planning to stay?' Ellie asked as they entered the dining room.

_Speaking of the devil._

'Draco has decided to stay the rest of the break until school goes back. I believe there are troubles with Lucius.' Roberto Zabini said from the head of the table. Valentina sat next to him and stared up at the three as they entered the room. Blaise gave Draco a look that said he wasn't happy. Ellie. Her expression was unreadable. He hoped it wasn't a bad thing. Maybe she felt indifferent about it.

'Come children. It's time to eat. Good to have you with us Draco.' Valentina said, smiling at him.

'Thank you, Mrs. Zabini. I hope my stay won't cause any trouble.' He replied politely.

'No trouble at all. Lucius is quite a difficult man to deal with.' She said and plates of finger sandwiches, pumpkin juice, bowls of seasonal fruits and a small selection of pastries appeared on the table. They all tucked in, an awkward silence falling over the table.

Draco sat across from Ellie and was watching her in his peripheral vision pretending to be focused on his food. She had decided only to eat a small sandwich and he could feel her eyes trained on him. He suddenly looked up to catch her gaze. She blushed and looked away. He smirked.

_So, I'm not the only one who is affected. Maybe it will be easier to get her help than I thought. _

A sharp pain went through his shin and he turned towards the source that had caused it. Blaise was not happy but he couldn't help it. She was the one who had started it.

'So, Draco. Narcissa sent me a letter yesterday. She said you're getting married to that Greengrass girl. What's her name again? Not Daphne. The other one.' Valentina said, putting down the pitcher of pumpkin juice.

'Astoria.'

'Ah yes. Astoria. I think she had a crush on our Blaise back in the day. Yes, she is quite a pretty girl is she not?'

'I think she had a crush on the entire male population.' Ellie mumbled under her breath but not so quiet that Draco and Blaise didn't hear her. Was that a hint of jealousy? My. My. This day was getting even more interesting. But he pretended not to hear.

'Yes, she is pretty, I suppose.' He replied.

'Well I'm sure you'll make beautiful babies.' She said, Ellie and Blaise both spat out their pumpkin juice and began to laugh.

'Eleanora. Blaise. Stop it this instant. This is not acceptable behaviour.' Ellie immediately stopped but her brother was another story entirely. He was nearly on the floor laughing and crying. Valentina got out her wand. 'Silencio'.

Blaise fell on the floor, still silently laughing.

'Blaise. Come on. It wasn't that funny.' Ellie said and got up to go help her brother off the floor. When he finished, he got up and glared at his mother, who shrugged.

'Surgito.'

'That. Mother. Was. Not. Fair.' He said.

'What was not fair was you laughing at Draco. He is being made to marry this girl, unwillingly. How would you like it if he laughed at you for having beautiful children with Isobel MacDougal?' She reprimanded. Blaise blushed but didn't say anything.

_Isobel MacDougal? What has she got to do with anything? What is Blaise hiding?_

'Oh, yes. Ellie. That reminds me. I talked to Hugh McLaggen this morning. Cormac would like to go out this Saturday, if that is alright with you?' His father said.

'Yes, papa. That is fine.' She said with a sigh.

_What? Ellie is going out with Cormac McLaggen? That self-absorbed git? I thought she hated him. What is happening here? _

He suddenly felt a bit jealous but ignored the feeling, believing it not to be real.

'Could somebody please explain to me what is going on?' He asked. Both Blaise and Ellie looked away. But after a moment of hesitation, Ellie replied.

'We have agreed to go on one date with Cormac and Isobel as their parents have approached ours with an arranged marriage proposal. If we do not enjoy our dates, the deal is off.' She said, staring directly towards him.

_Arranged marriage? Those hypocrites. That's messed up. _

'I see.' He felt like he couldn't hide, her eyes were searching his soul. 'Hypocrites.' He muttered under his breath.

'Yes, we didn't want that for them but we are only trying to be fair. All's fair in love and war isn't that right honey?' Valentina said.

'Indeed, it is, love.' Roberto replied.

_Ok, I'm now starting to question these people's morals. _

'So, let me get this straight. Your family gets reunited and a month later you're trying to marry your children off, to people they hate or don't even know. I mean, I know we're purebloods but arranging marriages so soon after being reunited is bit ridiculous. Also, a marriage shouldn't be about what assets the other person brings to the family, it should be about love, it should be about respect. No offence sir, but your morals are all messed up.' He shouted. He went quiet as soon as it was out. He wasn't sure where that had even come from. But every word he spoke, he realised he truly believed. He didn't hate Astoria. He just didn't love her. He wasn't sure he was even capable of love but he'd be damned if he didn't try.

'My dear boy, we can't forgo tradition. Our family has been run this way for centuries.' The patriarch calmly said.

'Tradition?...' He was cut off.

'Draco, mate. It's not worth it.' Blaise said, trying to pull him down. He hadn't even noticed he had stood up in his anger. But he wasn't going to stand for this. Their parents were complete hypocrites. He might be stuck in this hell hole but he'd be damned if his friends, well friend and sister got stuck in this mess as well.

'Screw tradition. These laws were made up by some jerk who believed that the world is better off pure. The world would be better if children marry for assets. Bullshit. Remember Voldemort?' As he said the name, father, mother and son gasped. The daughter however did not. 'He wanted the world to be pure and a lot of innocent people died. God, he wasn't even pure himself.'

'Malfoy. Please. It's not helping.' Ellie said but he ignored her.

'What I'm trying to say is, this is mis-parenting. Blaise and Ellie don't deserve this, they've already been through enough. The war put us all through enough pain for a lifetime. Why subject them to more. In my opinion, it's a bloody disgrace.' He was bloody losing it now. He had no control and he was not the only one.

'Now. You listen here son. I invite you to stay in our home and you will abide by our rules. You dare not speak the name of he-who-must-not-be-named in this house, you will not judge our parenting and you will respect your elders! Do I make myself clear?' Roberto had got up and walked around the table to be face to face with Draco.

'No. Grow up sir. The name no longer has any taboo. It is about time you outgrow this tradition. These laws mean nothing now.'

'YOU'RE PUSHING YOUR LUCK SON.' Roberto raised his hand but did not attempt to hit him. Ellie was suddenly in between them.

'NO. DAD. He has a right to speak his mind.' He looked down at the brave witch.

During this debacle, the floo went off in the ballroom, however no one had noticed over the racket that they were making in the dining room. A minute later, the visitors entered.

'What in the bloody hell is going on in here?' The five turned to the visitors and stopped arguing at once.

Draco looked down to Ellie who was staring at him. It was the most intense gaze of his life.

* * *

**Uh oh. What is going to happen next? Who knows? Well I do. But I'm the writer. Anyway, enjoy Chapter 11. :) **


	13. Accusations and Amends

**Chapter 12**

* * *

(Ellie POV)

Ellie had stepped in when things had got tense between her father and Malfoy. Blaise had told her how abused Draco had been growing up and how it was still occurring, even now. She had been horrified to say the least. No child or person deserved that. She had known that he had been forced to become a death eater. Harry had told her as much, but she had no idea he was still getting abused. It was truly shocking. But considering her run in with Lucius a few weeks ago, she shouldn't have been surprised. So, when she saw her father stand up, she had run around the table and stood in between them. It had been a split-second decision, but she had no reservations about it. She was Hermione Granger for crying out loud. Where had her bravery and ability to stick up for what was right gone in the past two weeks? Why had she been so compliant to her father's orders? That wasn't like her at all. Anyone could have said that it was just that her father was so controlling. But logic said that she didn't want to cause any more conflict. She needed a break. They all needed a break. So, she had let her father walk all over her despite her gut feeling. She would figure out how to get out of that mess later.

Well, she wasn't going to let that happen again. Not anymore. To prove it right now, she had let her gut overrule her past judgement to stay out of conflict. In her mind, she thought that her father may be able to control her life but she certainly wasn't going to let him do it to someone else. Malfoy just needed a break, like the rest of them.

Alright, she did admit she felt sorry for him; for his tragic upbringing and all the events of the war. But at this moment, even though he had brought this situation on himself, she saw this not ending well. Violence was not the answer. Violence was never the answer during a domestic conflict. Her muggle parents had taught her as such. It caused more damage than what was needed.

Now as she stood between the two bickering men, she could sense Malfoy becoming tense behind her. He stepped even closer to her, the warmth from his body radiating into her back. Was that a protective mechanism? She didn't need protecting. Hermione Granger, smartest witch of her time, the brains of the Golden Trio, spent months on the run getting them out of situations.

Gods, what was she thinking? This was Malfoy. This guy had hated her since he had met her all those years ago. Called her a mudblood and insulted her intelligence. It was true that he had apologised to her and had said everything was a façade, but no one's personality changed that much. He couldn't go from being so scornful of her to being protective of her. It made no bloody sense. Then she remembered the intense stare he had given her before in Blaise's room and blushed. What exactly was that all about? The look hadn't had any scorn in it at all. So, what was he playing at? She knew she had changed a bit in looks but she wasn't that much different than before. Was she?

The rumble of deep voices continued in between her but her mind was still consumed with the thought of the guy behind her. He was so confusing. Every interaction between them perplexed her. Even the look across the table just before left her numb with confusion. The one explanation she did have for it all was completely stupid, considering their history, but the more she thought about it, the more the explanation felt real. He had also told her she was pretty when she healed him. But she had been Hermione then and he was drunk at the time. But, don't drunk people usually say what they truly feel? Did he truly think Hermione was pretty? Or was his mind so foggy that his vision was blurred and he thought she was someone else? She scoffed at herself. He would've barely remembered that happening.

_You're being stupid Hermione. Malfoy is a git. _

She turned to look at him. In all the times that she had been fighting with him, she hadn't really noticed what he looked like. She knew that a lot of girls at school had a crush on him and he had a reputation for being a lady's man. But studying had been her priority. No sense looking at a guy who hated her guts. She had only been interested in two guys her entire life. The first was Viktor Krum, who had been her first. But now she had learned from his letters that he was married to some Bulgarian witch who was his soulmate. The second had been Ron but considering her intelligence and his lack of life ambition, that would have never panned out. But if she had shown interest or been caught staring at the Slytherin, he would have flipped and they'd have fought again. As he was focused on getting angry _(and being petty) _at her father, now was the best time to observe him. What she saw nearly made her knees collapse beneath her.

His platinum blond hair flopped around his face, framing it, like a portrait. His well-defined jaw line had two-day stubble and his physique was muscular from years of quidditch. His eyes were captivating. They drew you in. A steel grey colour that almost shone like silver in the light. His eyes were a mask for emotion; misty and removed. She could now see why the girls liked him so much. He was a man of mystery. Most girls like a mysterious type…or so she had heard. A voice from the other side of the room yelled out.

'What in the bloody hell is going on in here?'

He immediately looked down at her and their eyes held the gaze.

_Shit. Well there blows my cover. _

But she didn't look away this time, under the intensity of his stare, she was fully encapsulated by his eyes. She had expected him to look away but he didn't. She just couldn't figure him out. He was so perplexing. They seemed to be searching each other's eyes for a glimmer of something. An emotion perhaps? She wasn't sure. Apparently, he had found what he was looking for because a moment later, he smirked and looked over to the visitors who had just entered the room. Ellie delayed a moment longer, then ceased her stare and looked over to see Theo and Daphne. The heat from Malfoy's body was still radiating into her back and she suddenly felt so claustrophobic. Her space was being invaded and she was finding it hard to breathe. Inhaling, she breathed in his scent. A deep, musky cologne with a hint of peppermint. It wasn't overpowering but just enough to make any girl weak at the knees.

_Oh lord. I need to sit down. _

Her face felt hot and her head was spinning. It was as if she was hit by a dash of amortentia. He smelt exactly like the potion had in Slughorn's classroom.

_This is too weird. Calm down. Multiple people can have that scent. Yes. _

Her heart was pounding and she could feel the blood rushing through her ears. There was too much information to process at the one time. She was jittery and her legs felt like jelly. She needed to sit down before she collapsed in a heap. Stumbling to the nearest chair, she plonked herself down, but it didn't seem to work. Everything was starting to go blurry and she had to grip the chair and table to prevent her from falling off. It appeared as if no one had noticed her though.

'Well? Is anyone going to tell us or are you just going to stand here gaping at us?' Theo said. Blaise spoke first.

'Draco and father were just having a little disagreement. But everything is fine now, right?' He gave them both a glare and both conceded, obviously not wanting to make a scene.

'Ellie? Are you alright?' Daphne suddenly asked and rushed over to her side. 'You don't look very well.' Valentina was there in seconds. The four men in the room stood back but looked on in concern.

'Oh, my poor baby. She does not look well at all.' She placed her hand on her forehead, feeling her temperature. 'Well, she doesn't feel too warm. Maybe she just needs some air.' Ellie's head was still spinning and she still couldn't breathe properly. Everything was moving too fast. Was she having a panic attack?

'Blaise. Take your sister to her room. The elves, Daphne and I will attend to her. Boys. Behave yourselves.' She commanded and rushed out of the room towards the kitchen. Ellie saw a dark blur in front of her and then felt weightless. Blaise had obviously picked her up and she was being carried to her room. In her brother's arms, the anxiety she once felt started to subside. As she breathed in his calming scent. It was like a vanilla paradise. It was nice but nothing compared to the scent from Malfoy.

_Stop thinking about him, Hermione._

The walk seemed to drag on forever and as her vision came back, she felt herself being gently placed on the comforts of her bed. Looking up at the ceiling, she tried to steady her breathing, listening to some whispered bickering between her brother and the girl. The door closed softly.

'Ellie? Can you hear me? Are you alright?' Daphne asked and Ellie turned her head slightly to see the blond girl looking down at her with concern. She gave a weak smile. Blaise had been kicked out apparently.

'Yes, Daphne. I can hear you and I'll live now.' She said.

'Do you want to talk about what happened down there?' The girl asked and sat down, gently beside her on the bed. She didn't know if she could trust the girl with her thoughts. Harry had told her that she had saved Ginny's life during the war and had completely cut herself off from her family in doing just that. A person who could do that had guts and was very admirable. Blaise also trusted her. Perhaps, Ellie could trust her.

'This is about Draco. You're confused by his behaviour.' Ellie sat up abruptly.

'You're a Legilimens?' Ellie asked, suddenly feeling very exposed. She had been reading her thoughts.

'I'm sorry. I shouldn't have looked into your mind. It's difficult to turn off sometimes. But, yes, I am. I've been blessed with two gifts, I suppose. The inner eye and legilimency. It can be a curse more than a gift sometimes.' The girl sighed and turned back to Ellie. 'So why is he so confusing to you?' She was staring at her, waiting for a reply. 'Sorry. I don't mean to push you. You can have your secrets.' She smirked at her, knowingly. Ellie mentally sighed in frustration. The bloody Slytherin knew she had gone weak at the knees in the near proximity of Malfoy. Now she wished Harry had taught her occlumency. It was very unsettling.

'I would tell you…but I'm not sure I can trust you.' She said finally.

'Fair enough. If I were in your position, I wouldn't be able to trust me either. I'm not sure how much worth this will be coming from a Slytherin but I promise you. We are not all bad people. Theo and I both fought for the light side in the war. We were on that side long before it began though. Theo's parents are both gone but mine are still very much on the dark side. I've not spoken to them or even seen them since I was cut off. I saw Astoria once, but she is just like them. It's just Theo and I now and we like it. We've learned how to do things on our own and we are happier. We do not despise muggles. In fact, I would very much like to learn more about their culture. What do your muggle parents do?' She asked, changing the subject with a glimmer of excitement from her rant in her eyes. Ellie smiled. It was hard not to; the girl was charming.

'My muggle parents were dentists. They tend to people's teeth.' She answered.

'Like a tooth healer? How interesting.' She said. Ellie was amused by her thoughtfulness but didn't say anything.

'I'm sorry, Ellie. I didn't mean to say all those awful things to you back in school. My parents forced their ideology on me and if I went against it, they would have disowned me. I waited until I was old enough to be out on my own before I went against them. I wish I could take it all back. I wish I could've been more like Blaise. Neutral. To not pick a side. Please forgive me. I would really like us to be friends.' She extended her hand for her to shake, looking expectantly at Ellie.

Ellie was still a little cautious of her, Slytherins could be lying. But she thought about her brother. He was friends with them. They mustn't be too bad if he chose to keep them around. The girl had been so genuine too. Told her everything outright. She didn't seem to be lying. There was no harm in trying, was there?

'Alright. We can try to be friends. But you had better not try anything with me or you will know the consequences.' She shook Daphne's hand and the girl laughed.

'Don't worry Ellie. I know.' She winked and Ellie's mother entered the room carrying various medicinal items. She rushed over to her bedside when she saw her sitting up.

'Ellie, you're sitting up. Are you feeling better?' She asked, rushing over her words with concern.

'I'm fine mum.' She said, straightening herself. 'Just needed to lie down for a bit.' She looked over to Daphne who was stifling a giggle.

_She did know. Bloody Legilimens. _

'Ok. Are you sure I can't get a healer to come and look you over?' She asked.

'Yes, I'm perfectly fine. Probably just a little overwhelmed.'

_You could say that again. _

'Well ok then. I will get an elf to take these away. Finch!' A little elf in a yellow waistcoat and tie popped in and bowed to his mistress.

'Yes, mistress?' He squeaked.

'Take these medicines back to the medicine cabinet, please.'

'Yes miss. Right away miss. Anything you say miss.' He took the items and popped out. Ellie forgot her anxiety as curiosity waved over her. She had heard the elves say that phrase many times.

'Mother. Why do the elves say that?' She asked.

'What? Oh, the phrase. Well, I suppose it is just a tradition. The elves came up with it themselves. We aren't exactly sure why. Don't question them on it though. They're very sensitive little creatures.' Her mother sat down on the bed next to Daphne. 'Now, what were you two talking about?'

'Oh. Um, Daphne and I have decided to try and be friends.' Ellie answered.

'Oh, that is splendid. Daphne is a wonderful girl, very bright and very brave. I'm sure you'll get along…well, splendidly.' The woman stood up and cradled her daughter's cheeks in her hands. 'Ti voglio bene, mio caro dolce bambina. (I love you, my dear sweet child).' She smiled and let her go before gliding out of the room again.

'I'm really going to have to start learning Italian.' Ellie said out loud, nearly forgetting Daphne was still there. The girl chuckled.

'She said she loved you, her dear sweet child.' Daphne said, standing up.

'Does everyone know Italian apart from me?' Ellie exclaimed.

'Sì, siamo tutti fluenti (yes, we are all fluent).' Daphne smirked at Ellie whose face was getting red.

'Which means?' She pouted.

'Yes. We're all fluent. Don't worry, I can tutor you. It is the least I can do to make up for all the bad stuff that I put you through.' She offered. Ellie considered the offer. She did need to learn Italian if she was going to be part of the family and she was going to try to be friends with Daphne.

'Alright. It's a deal.' Ellie said. Daphne stretched out her hand.

'You ready to go down there now?' She asked.

'Give me a minute, but I suppose I have to; I probably scared the life out of all of them.' Ellie said, not yet ready to face all the confusion that she was feeling before. But she didn't want them to worry about her. Daphne took her hand back and nodded softly in recognition.

'Don't worry. No one is going to judge you. Sometimes that happens.' She started to walk away. 'Oh, also, where Draco's concerned, you're not the only one.' Daphne winked then chuckled again before walking towards the door. Ellie sat there gaping at her. Seriously? How Slytherin could that girl get? 'Well, see you in a bit.' The girl looked back at her and gave her a genuine smile and then left.

She took a few minutes to collect herself, but then got up and exited the room, taking one last deep breath as she left.

Well. Here goes nothing.

* * *

(Draco POV)

Draco was extremely freaked out. He didn't really know what was happening. One second he was normal and acting absolutely right as rain, the next he was flipping out in a hormonal rage. As soon as Blaise had left the room he had apologised. He had no right to call Mr. Zabini out on his decisions, no matter how messed up they were. Something had snapped within him. It was probably all the crap that he was going through with Astoria. Blaise didn't deserve that. Hell, even Ellie didn't deserve that.

He just hoped he could get out of this mess in time. He hoped Ellie could be the one to help him. The person in question had nearly full on blacked out only a moment ago. Some sort of anxiety attack. He knew it from the look on her face. He had had many of them before. He wasn't sure what the cause was but he couldn't help but feel he had something to do with it. Theo had interrupted the fight and he couldn't ignore the amber eyes gleaming up at him. Sure, he had known she was staring before that, he had just focused on her father. When he had looked down, at first, he was captivated by their beauty but then he saw an emotion run through them. Perhaps confusion. Perhaps uncertainty. Perhaps a feeling of being overwhelmed.

_Shit. It was his fault then. He would have to apologize to her. _

Theo came up beside him and slapped him on the shoulder.

'You right mate?' He asked.

'Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?' He shrugged his hand off.

'You looked a bit out of sorts, mate. What's got your wand in a twist?' Theo replied. 'You need to relax.'

Draco didn't reply. He sulked and went to sit down. Theo resigned and sat down next to him.

'Are you going to tell me what's up or will I have to get Daphne to use Legilimency on you?' He asked.

'Sod off, will you? I'm not in the mood.' Draco pouted, making Theo blew out a low whistle.

'Fine. I'm going to go find Daphne. I'll leave you to your depressing thoughts.' He got up and swaggered out of the room, leaving Draco on his own.

_Pfft. What does he know?_

He knew Nott meant well but he needed to be alone for a moment. He needed to collect himself and reformulate his plan. His original plan had been to get Ellie on her own to convince her to help him, but now it didn't seem like Blaise would even leave her alone for a minute with anyone, let alone him. Then he had lost his cool with Mr. Zabini and nearly made her pass out from anxiety. He was such a dunce. It was all his fault. He needed to apologize as soon as he could and then he'd go from there. He hoped she would forgive him. It wasn't going to be easy. He knew it now. Especially with Nott, Greengrass and her brother leering over her like a hawk. He'd give it a couple of days. Let them all cool off, then he would approach her.

'Oh, hey Malfoy. Um, have you seen Blaise, Daphne or Theo anywhere?' He looked up to see the girl in question enter the room. She had recovered from the anxiety attack then.

'No, I haven't Ellie. Are you ok?' He asked. She was teetering from foot to foot, obviously uncomfortable in being alone with him. She gave him a look as if to say, why the heck do you even care?

_Merlin. He really had messed it all up. _

'Yeah. I'm fine. Just want to know where they all went.' She trailed off. He suddenly realised that she was alone, with him. Screw giving it a couple of days, here was his chance now.

'I'll help you find them.' He said getting up a bit too quickly, nearly knocking over his chair. She hesitated and took a deep breath.

_Merlin. She still hated him, didn't she?_

'I'm sorry.' He blurted out.

'What did you just say to me?' She asked, shock apparent on her face. He took a deep breath but continued.

'I said, I was sorry, Ellie. About before. Arguing with your father. I don't know why I did it. I was just so angry I suppose…' He looked away sheepishly. 'I know, this is weird. Draco Malfoy, the boy who's hated you for so long, apologizing right to your face. But I meant what I said the first time I found out you were Blaise's sister. I don't believe any of the ideologies my father has thrown on me. I know this doesn't make up for the fact that I bullied you mercilessly, but I hope in time you'll forgive me. Also thank you for standing up for me before. You didn't have to but you did and I'm grateful that you did. I'd probably be pummelled senseless again if you hadn't.' He paused again, watching her process it all. 'Look, Ellie. I'm Blaise's best friend and seeing as I'm going to be around a lot, I was hoping we could call a truce.'

'A truce?' She replied, quirking an eyebrow up at him. She had stopped her teetering but had folded her arms across her chest. 'What kind of truce?'

'Well, one where we don't bite each other's throats whenever we're in a room together. One where I don't question you and you don't question me. One where we are civil, for the sake of Blaise.' He added that on the end, hoping it would convince her. She looked questioningly up at him and he wondered if the Gryffindor would accept his offer. She was taking an awful long time to consider it. 'Please Ellie. I don't want to fight anymore.' She sighed.

'Fine. Truce. But if you mess up don't think I won't make you know it.' She said and waltzed out of the room, leaving him there gaping at the door in disbelief. She accepted the truce. Un-bloody-real. She was back a moment later. 'Are you coming to find them or not?'

'Yeah. Coming.' He shook his head and followed her out of the room. They walked in uncomfortable silence, evidently not sure how to react given the truce they just called.

Draco noticed the Zabini portraits all gossiping between themselves at the sight of them walking together. It was a wonder why his father hadn't planned on marrying him to her. The Zabini family was rich beyond measure. They were also neutral during the war. Having his son married into the family would rectify the Malfoy name. Not that he would've wanted to marry her, but it couldn't have been any worse than who he was stuck with now. Besides, Blaise would have been his brother in law. Much more tolerable.

He inwardly smirked. Ellie would have never stood for that. He remembered quite well the S.P.E.W. campaign she preached about during their fourth year. Once she had her mind set on something, nothing was ever going to stop her from getting it. She still hated him with her entire being though. Thinking about it, he supposed he hadn't ever really hated her. Sure, she was annoying, insufferable, bookwormish and a know-it-all. But she had some admirable traits, like bravery and loyalty. She also gave him some healthy competition for the top of the class. His school life would have been boring without her, he admitted.

* * *

(Ellie POV)

He had called a truce. He had also apologised to her. Again. This day just kept getting weirder and weirder. When Daphne had left her to recover alone, she had made her way down to the dining room, assuming everyone would be there. But low and behold, Malfoy was alone in the room; sulking as per usual. Her heart had started pacing again when she saw him but she managed her breathing well enough to push through the weirdness from before. It had been an uncomfortable moment. She knew he wasn't like his father, but that still didn't mean she liked being alone with him. The last time that had happened she was too focused on trying to make sure he wasn't going to die to even care. What had just happened before her episode was too hard to ignore. When she made herself known, he had immediately changed attitude. Then he apologised as if he knew it was his fault. But that was impossible unless he was a legilimens as well. He would have been cockier though if he had known that. So, she ruled that out. His apology irked her a little bit. It just didn't seem all that believable. But maybe she was just stereo casting him as the villain as he had been in previous years. Then he had called a truce. She seriously considered denying the request. Then she had thought about her brother. It would have been unfair to give him a second chance but not Malfoy. The war had changed so many people. Was it so hard to believe that the war had changed him too? Her head was telling her to say no but her gut overruled with reason, so she had accepted it.

Now they were walking towards the guest wing on the third floor. The western wing had a much sunnier disposition than the other 3 wings on the floor. It had about a dozen or so smaller guest bedrooms, identical to the ones in the eastern wing. (Imagine the manor as a every long, large and wide rectangular building, that works off a cross in the centre, going out to wings and corridors which link to various rooms). They had avoided these on the main tour of the house but Ellie had discovered them when she went exploring on her own in those two weeks she had been there.

They had trudged up all the levels, looking in every room but the trio weren't to be found. Now the east and west wings of the manor were the only things left to examine. Malfoy was ahead of her, searching in the rooms on the left-hand side whilst she did the right. They had silently established this routine and it had worked quite well. She admitted that they made a great team. All the uncomfortable awkwardness from before had slipped away the longer she spent in his presence.

Malfoy suddenly brought his index finger to his lips to tell her to be quiet. He pointed to the room at the end of the hallway. She quietly nodded and followed his lead. She could now hear voices coming from the other side of the door, getting louder as they approached. They stopped in front of the door, listening to the others on the other side.

'Daphne. You need to stop holding it in. You're going to hurt yourself.'

'I'm well aware of that Theo, but I can't just let it burst out. Not in front of our friends. What if it is related to the Zabini prophecy?'

Malfoy quirked an eyebrow at her and mouthed 'The Zabini prophecy?'. Ellie shrugged. She had no idea what was going on with these two. But now she was intrigued, she listened harder.

'I suppose you're right. But how come you can't just do it now?' Theo asked her, Ellie could hear Daphne sigh in frustration.

'Theo. You know what the superior one said. No prophecies are to be made without the presence of a person without seer abilities. You, my dear do, so it would be breaking the rules.'

'Yes, I forgot about that. But I'm just worried for your safety.' He said. Ellie was trying to figure it all out in her head. There was a prophecy that obviously related to her and Blaise, possibly their parents, that only Theo and Daphne knew about and Daphne was suppressing a prophecy. That was not enough information. She needed to know more. She needed to know what was going on.

'I know you are but I'm ok, I promise. Now, I'm already working on Ellie, how's it going with Blaise?' She asked. Ellie could feel the anger in her rising. If that little, lying, Slytherin could think she could get away with being her friend just to fulfil some old prophecy, she had another thing coming. Malfoy put his hand on her shoulder, it burned her skin and she nearly jumped sky high. She looked up into his darkened steel eyes as he shook his head.

'What in gods name are you two doing?' They both jumped, Malfoy removing his hand quickly as if the touch seared him and overbalanced. They both crashed onto the floor at the sound of Blaise's voice behind them. The sound had alerted the people in the room and as the door behind them opened, Theo and Daphne were revealed. Ellie looked up at Daphne, the rage suddenly taking control.

'You. You're a lying, conniving, little gargoyle.' She yelled and stood up and stormed past Blaise back towards her room. All the while, the other four looked on at her in shock.

* * *

(Draco POV)

'Anyone want to tell me what just happened?' Blaise said turning back to the other three.

'Well. Ellie just overheard Theo and Daph's conversation. Let's just say, she wasn't so happy about it.' Draco said with a smug look on his face. Ellie may still have a lot to learn about being a pureblood, but blimey she already knew how to make an exit.

'What the hell guys? You're supposed to be welcoming my sister and instead you're driving her away.' Blaise said, throwing his arms up in the air. Draco turned to see Theo and Daph look at each other, nod in agreement and then turn back to Blaise.

'Blaise. Draco. I think it's about time we explain.' Daph said, making room in the doorway for them to come in. Both men walked through the door and sat down on the edge of the bed. Blaise was fuming whilst he was covering up his confusion quite well. Theo came and stood in front of them, Daphne following his lead. He cleared his throat before beginning.

'There is this prophecy…'

* * *

**We are finally getting somewhere. I hope you are enjoying this story so far. I'm having so much fun writing it. Still going to have an irregular schedule for a while, but unfortunately that is life. Fear not. I'm having too much fun to give up on it. Until next time. Zozo :) **


	14. Trips and Tribulations

**Chapter 13**

* * *

(Blaise POV)

He was starting to feel like his friends were trying to make him miserable. Just when things were finally going right in his life, they had to ruin everything for him. He had only properly known Ellie for two weeks but she was quickly becoming a centre point in his life. He'd be damned if he lost her again. His friends would pay if she left again. Now, the two seers stood in front of him and Draco. Blaise was fuming. Theo cleared his throat and began.

'There is this prophecy. It involves you and your sister Blaise. Ellie heard us talking about it through the door.'

'A prophecy? What is this prophecy?' Blaise asked, intrigued by the notion.

'The prophecy which was made by Theo states that a lion and snake would be bonded by blood, where buds will bloom after a flood. However, a rose without thorns would be no quest as a heart without love beats not against a chest.' Daphne stated.

'Very cryptic, Theo.' Draco said, smirking beside him.

'Yes. But what does it mean?' Blaise said. 'How do you know it is me and Ellie?'

'We don't. But a lion and a snake. Who else could it possibly be?' Theo replied. He had to admit that he was right. There is no one else he knew that would be bonded by blood and be from the rival houses.

'Alright. But what does it all mean?' Blaise was getting agitated. He was wringing his hands nervously and was pacing the room. He went to the writing desk and pulled out some parchment. 'What did it say again?' He turned back to the other three. Daphne articulated.

_A lion and snake bonded by blood, where buds will bloom after a flood. However, a rose without thorns would be no quest as a heart without love beats not against a chest._

What the bloody hell did it mean? Why did they keep it a secret from him? From her? Merlin. He was so angry at them.

'Why did you keep it a secret? We deserved to know. Not that I can figure out it's meaning. I get the first part about me and Ellie being bonded by blood but the rest is like nothing to me.' He said.

'Well. From what I can gather. You and Ellie are to be faced with a task. Don't ask me what. I would not know.' Daphne said.

'The superior one told us to not tell anyone of it.' Theo said.

'The superior one?' Draco quirked an eyebrow. 'What kind of shit are you guys getting into? Sounds like a cult if you ask me.'

'It's a covenant. It is the covenant of seers. We aren't allowed to speak much of it with anyone else. People know of its existence but they do not know anything else. It is a society for seers and membership is via invitation only. All prestigious and well renowned seers are allowed to join. I've said too much.' Daphne covered her mouth.

'Ok. So, the superior one is what? The leader?' Draco queried.

'Essentially, yes.' Theo said.

'Theo. Be quiet. We can't speak of it.' Daphne hit his shoulder.

'Daphne, these are our friends. I can't lie to them anymore. It's too hard.' He replied.

'How long have you two been a part of it?' Blaise asked. 'How long ago did you make this prophecy?'

'Right before the war was when we joined and I made the prophecy the day after the war ended.' Theo stated.

The bastards had known that long and refused to tell him. They were supposed to be his friends. It appeared their loyalties lied elsewhere. It made him so angry. He couldn't even look at those two right now. He pocketed the piece of paper and stormed out, hoping to go reconcile with his sister.

When he got to her room, she wasn't there. Remembering what happened last time things had got intense; he ran into her closet and was relieved to find that all her clothes were still there. He looked around the rest of the room and found that there was no evidence of her leaving.

_Good. So, he didn't have to go sleuthing to find her again. _

_She probably went for a walk to clear her head._

To await her return, he raided her personal collection of books and picked out _Macbeth, _by William Shakespeare. Taking the rather unusual book to the bed, he made himself comfortable and started to read. He now realised why it was so unusual. It was a play. Written in old day English. He supposed it was a muggle play for he hadn't heard of it before. It was intriguing him. The more engrossed he became in his reading, the more he realised how tired he had become. He yawned and turned the page to Act 1 Scene 6, but fell asleep, the book falling on to his chest.

* * *

(Ellie POV)

How dare she? She had some nerve to ask her to be her friend when all she wanted was to fulfil some dumb prophecy. She knew she couldn't trust any of them. She ran over to her bed, curled up and started to cry. Everything was overwhelming. How she felt during the war didn't compare to what she was feeling now. First her parents had forced her to date Cormac McLaggen. Then Malfoy had shown up and said he was staying until term starts again. Not that that really bothered her since they called a truce. As long as she stayed away from him, she'd be ok. She didn't need any more confusing and awkward moments like what had transpired in the dining room earlier. Then they had just overheard talks of a prophecy. It was worrying her. What did that mean she had to do? What did it say? She just felt like she couldn't talk to anybody. She couldn't trust anyone. Well, apart from Blaise. But even then, there was only so much he could understand. The still unfamiliar environment was trying on her psyche. It was driving her insane being amongst all this drama. The more involved she became, the more she felt alone. Right now, she felt alone. Maybe she should send a letter to Harry and Ginny; having them here would be such a help. Maybe she could escape the drama for a while as well. She swiped at the tears, straightened herself out and walked over to her desk, pulling out some parchment and beginning a letter.

_Dear Harry and Ginny,  
The past two weeks have been interesting to say the least. The new development has been so overwhelming. I was wondering if you could both come and stay with me next week? Please let me know. Hope everything is ok at home. Say hi to the family for me.  
Hermione x_

She was reluctant to put her real name, knowing that her identity had yet to be revealed to the wizarding world. She then put her pen down and went to her bathroom to clear her face of the tears.

When she returned, she addressed the letter and went down to the brewery where the owlery was located. There were many beautiful owls sitting on perches around the room. Ellie located one in the corner whose perch had a plaque that read _Benvolio. _He was a majestic barn owl. He looked at her in anticipation. She unwrapped her letter and picked up the spare quill over by the door and added a line to the letter.

_P.S. The owl's name is Benvolio. _

She walked back over to the owl and patted his head, with him hooting in appreciation.

'Benvolio. Please take this letter to Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley. Please wait for a reply.' She asked, he hooted once more and flew out the owlery window on his way to England. She sighed. What to do now? She supposed she could go back to her room and read a book. Books were her comfort place. But first. Maybe she should take an extended route through the gardens. She needed some air.

The gardens were glorious and tranquil. A haven of serenity. Stone fountains and statues were littered throughout all the separate gardens. There were many species of plants; some native, others foreign. As she continued up the crunchy gravel path and came upon an exquisite rose garden, consisting of many of varieties. Fireflies settled on the petals of the beautiful flowers and she could imagine that their bioluminescence would be magical at twilight, just how it had been in the olive grove two weeks ago. She had yet to venture out here at night but she knew it was one of her favourite parts of the garden. She lingered in this part of the garden, a few minutes more before making her way back to the manor.

She entered through the alfresco terrace and trudged up the stairs again, avoiding any house elves, hoping not to run into anyone else. When she returned to her room though, she found Blaise asleep on her bed. A book was open and laying flat on his chest. She smirked. Like brother. Like sister. She walked over to his bedside and extracted the book from his grasp.

Macbeth.

She quirked an eyebrow at his choice of book but closed it and placed it on her bedside table, turning her attention back to him. He looked so peaceful. His face slack but slight lines of tension furrowed across his head. She didn't blame him. It had been a trying day for them both. She looked at her abandoned bags of shopping from their adventure into Florence this morning. She supposed she had better put them away. Picking up her bags, she went into her wardrobe and reminisced on that morning.

* * *

_Earlier that day…_

'Come on Elles. I'll get you a present. Anything you want.' Blaise said dragging her into the marketplace. They had gone into Florence to experience some of the culture and sights that it had to offer. They had gone on a tour of the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella. It had been exactly what she expected as the impressive marbled structure painted the perfect picture of Renaissance Florence. They had then toured the Palazzo Vecchio and had observed the city from the Torre d'Arnolfo (tower). The panorama of Florence was stunning. Ellie was sure she would never forget that moment. She and Blaise had taken a couple of photos of themselves at the top. One muggle photo and one magical one. Then they had trekked down the 418 stairs into the streets. Blaise had then dragged her to the marketplace.

Now they walked down the cobblestone street, window shopping as they passed by stores. She saw a store selling journals and stationery. She decided she wanted to go in and dragged her brother in with her.

'Of course. Why am I not surprised you wanted to come in here?' He smirked but obliged. She swatted his shoulder.

'Oh, shut it you. You love books just as much as I do.'

He chuckled. 'You got me there, sorella.'

They walked around, looking at various items. There were leather-bound notebooks, leather bags, satchels, various wooden hand-crafted pens and other stationery supplies. Making her way towards the back of the store, Ellie came upon the far back corner where an old man, wearing a leather apron and a chimney sweep cap was monograming a notebook. She turned to Blaise who had followed her down the aisle.

'I know what I want.' He smiled and nodded, leading her up to the man. Upon seeing them approach, he smiled.

'Buongiorno. How may I help you?' The kind, old man said.

'Buongiorno. We would like to have two notebooks monogrammed.' Blaise said, reading Ellie's thoughts.

'Si. Of course. Now what ones would you like?' The man pointed to the array of books sitting under the glass counter he was sitting behind. There were many colours and designs to choose from.

'You choose for us Ellie. I would like identical ones for us. It's your treat.' Blaise whispered into her ear. She eventually decided on a chestnut brown, leather bound notebook with swirling patterns on the covers and spine. It was elegant enough to be considered expensive looking but not too over the top. It was perfect.

'Excellent choice miss. Now what would you like monogrammed on them?' The man asked.

'E.H.Z on one. B.A.Z on the other please.' Ellie said.

'Ok. Will not be long. Take another look around whilst I finish these off.' He said, writing down her request with a smile and went about his work. Blaise pulled her over to a wall of novelty items.

'Nice choice, sorella.' He said as they observed the items and then got distracted by something else. 'Oh, look parchment. We need more of that.' He walked over to a row of parchment paper. They walked around for another 10 minutes and then the man called them over again.

'There you go. All done.' He handed them to them. His handiwork was done perfectly. Ellie ran her fingers over the golden letters on the cover and the spine marvelling at the work. They paid the kind man for their things and went back into the marketplace. They walked down the street, continuing their window shopping. They bought various items that they either needed or just wanted before deciding to walk home. They had promised they'd be back by lunch time and it was getting awfully close.

So, they walked out of the city and down the road, cutting through the olive groves and vineyards on the estate along the way. Elves were still picking grapes on their way past and they waved at friendly hello at them both. Ellie smiled and waved back. She got curious.

'Blaise. What do muggles see when they see the elves?' She asked.

'Oh. They don't. They are invisible to the non-magical world. So essentially, if someone had seen us just then, they would have seen you waving at nothing.' He explained. She nodded in response. She soaked in the Italian sun, breathing in the fresh air.

It had been the best morning of her life.

* * *

_Present…_

Which had turned into the worst afternoon of her life, excluding the war. She sighed and went about putting things away. She had bought a new sundress; black with floral patterns and a new pair of sunglasses and even a pair of sandals to match. She had gotten various other stationery items and had stopped in Blaise's favourite stationery shop to get her some personalised stationery. In the last bag was her notebook. She pulled it out and looked it over again. She was still in love with its simplistic but elegant design. Walking back over to her desk, she picked up a quill and some ink and then walked over to the bed where Blaise was still sleeping. She gently sat down on the other side, placed the bottle of ink on her bedside table and then propped herself up against the headboard. She didn't really want to wake up him yet. She opened the book, dipped her quill in the ink and began to write.

_25th July 1998_

_Today was a confusing day…._

She continued to pour all her feelings into the diary. A couple of times, she looked over to Blaise who had been stirring but didn't wake up. He had pulled a pillow to his chest, like their mother said he often did during his sleep. She smirked. It was an endearing trait. She continued writing. A little while later and she was done. Opening the first drawer on the bedside table, she placed the diary, the quill and ink inside it, carefully closing it to prevent too much noise.

She looked over at Blaise again. What was she going to do with him? She smirked as an evil idea came to mind. She was going to have a bit of fun. She had been meaning to do this for a while anyway, what better time than to scare her brother with it? Going to the bathroom, she pulled out her charcoal face mask and applied it to her face. Satisfied, she tiptoed over to his bedside and leered over the top of him.

'Blaise.' She said in a low, eerie voice. He awoke immediately and upon seeing her face, he shouted out in fright. Ellie fell to the floor in giggles.

'Oi. That was not funny Elles.' He yelled, throwing the pillow he had been hugging to the side. 'You scared the living daylights out of me.'

'Good…you…had…it…coming.' She said through gasps of air. He was just looking at her as she tried to control her giggling. He smirked down at her.

'Oh ho ho. This means war. You know that?' He got up and pulled her off the floor, her giggling finally subsiding.

'Oh, I know. I just couldn't resist.' She said. 'Reaction was priceless though. I wish I had been filming.' She said, walking over to her trunk and sitting on top of it.

'You know. Sometimes I wonder how you didn't end up in Slytherin.' He followed her and sat down beside her. 'What is this stuff on your face by the way?' He pointed at it and screwed his face up.

'It's a face mask. It's supposed to clear all the impurities like dirt out of your face. It works really well. You should try it.' She asked, standing and pulling him to the bathroom.

'Ok. But I'm not going out of this room with it on. It looks weird.' He said. 'Hey, are you saying my face is dirty? Rude.' They both chuckled.

'No, I wasn't saying that and don't worry. This stays between us.' She said and pushed him down onto the edge of the bathtub. 'Ok. This will be a bit tight.' She began applying the mask to his face.

'Ow. It is tight.' He complained and she swatted him with her elbow as her hands were covered in the charcoal substance. This made him laugh a little. He kept struggling.

'Stop complaining and wriggling. Do you want this in your eye, genius?' She questioned and he straightened and let her apply it. 'There all done. Don't touch it.' She went to the basin and washed her hands, then began washing the mask off her face. 'You leave it on for about ten minutes and then wash it off.' He stood up and walked to the double sink, looking at himself in the mirror. He then started to laugh.

'I look ridiculous.' She joined in his laughter. Finishing cleansing and moisturising her face.

'You do but trust me it works. Here, feel my skin.' She lifted his hand and he felt her face. It was smooth and amazingly clear.

'Wow. It does feel amazing.'

'Told ya.' She smirked and went back to cleaning up her basin. Ten minutes later and they washed the mask off his face.

'Wow. This is incredible. My face feels so good.' He said.

'Here. Moisturise your face with this. It will lock in the moisture.' She handed him a bottle of moisturiser and he applied the cream to his face.

'Thanks.' He replied. Once done, they both went back into her room.

'So, Macbeth?' She asked, picking up the book.

'It's ok. A little hard to follow though.' He replied.

'Basically, it is about the damaging side effects of political ambition of those that seek power for their own selfish gain.' She explained. 'Quite a good dramatic play actually. You can borrow it if you want to read it.'

He nodded. 'Yeah. It was quite interesting. It might do me some good deciphering some old English language.' He chuckled. She watched him as he felt around in his pocket, finding the piece of parchment that he had written the prophecy on.

'Oh. Before I forget, I found out what the prophecy was. Apparently, it is about us. Me and you. Not exactly sure what the meaning is though. Daphne said we had to face a task or something.' He pulled the paper out and handed it to her. She read it out loud.

_A lion and snake bonded by blood where buds will bloom after a flood. However, a rose without thorns would be no quest as a heart without love beats not against a chest._

'Well that's very cryptic.'

'Yeah, Draco said the same thing. Do you have any idea what it means?' He asked.

'Not exactly. I'd have to sit down and go through it, but I'm sure I can work it out.' She sat down on her trunk again, the paper lying on her lap. 'Why did they lie to us Blaise?'

He sat beside his sister and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. 'It was a rule Elles. They weren't allowed to tell us.' Maybe she had jumped the gun. Alright. She had jumped the gun. She would have to apologise to Daphne later. They continued to sit in companionable silence only disrupted an hour later by the pop of an elf.

'Excuse me, miss Ellie, master Blaise.' They turned to the elf in the green waistcoat and tie.

'What is it Savoy?' Blaise asked.

'Master and Mistress have asked for your presence in the private study, immediately.' The elf squeaked.

'Ok. Inform them we will be there in a moment.' Blaise replied.

'Yes master. Right away master. Anything you say master.' There was a pop and the elf was gone.

'What could they possibly want now?' He asked. Ellie looked up into her brother's eyes.

'Not sure. But we had better find out.' She said, taking his hand and standing up. He followed her lead and the twins left, not knowing what fate would befall them.

* * *

(Blaise POV)

'You're joking.' He was pacing the room, wringing his hands again.

'No, son. We most certainly are not joking.' His father stated. 'Will you please sit down.' His voice was just as agitated as Blaise felt. Blaise sat obediently.

'So, you're saying that there has been a mass break out from Azkaban again? And it happened two weeks ago? Why is everyone keeping secrets from us?' He was getting hysterical, he knew it. He just couldn't believe all the drama the people in his life were causing them.

'Do we know who escaped?' Ellie asked, obviously a lot more level-headed than him.

'For the most part, yes we do. However, there were a few unknowns as well.' He handed her the newspaper article and she grazed over it, her eyes widening with each word she read.

'That's nearly all the remaining death eaters who were caught. How is this even possible? I thought Azkaban increased their security.'

'Someone obviously knew the weak spots.' Their mother replied.

'I have to go back. I have to go help Harry.' She exclaimed and stood up, Blaise grabbed her arm and she snapped her head to him, fighting his grasp.

'Ellie. Sit. Please. You can't just go rushing back to England and stand up with Harry again. As far as the wizarding world is concerned, they don't know who you truly are yet. Do you really want all that attention? Especially with everything that has been thrown at you.' She relaxed her fighting and reluctantly sat.

'So, what do we do then?' She sulked. A tap came at the window and they all turned to see Benvolio who had returned. 'Benvolio. Harry has sent a reply.' She jumped up and went over to the window, retrieving the bird, giving it a treat before it flew off merrily back to the owlery.

'You sent Potter a letter?' He asked. 'Is that where you were earlier?'

'Yes. It was.' The girl came over and sat back down, reading aloud.

_Dear Hermione,  
Interesting is one way to describe the past two weeks. I assume you've heard the news. The auror department have recruited Ron and I to assist in this search. Kingsley specifically asked for you to join as well but however, he does not know of your location. So far, it is not going so well. There is not much to say. I know you don't want to see him but Ron and I have been meaning to come to you. I think he's remorseful for the way he behaved. But we also need your help. Ginny would like to see you as well. We will swing by tomorrow.  
Harry. _

'Oh great. Just what we need. Potter and the Weasels.' Malfoy swung into the room. The occupants jumped at his voice.

'Malfoy. This is a private study.' Ellie raised her voice. He tutted in response.

'Ellie. Ellie. Ellie. Try to remember our truce.' She toned her voice down.

'Fine. But you can't walk in on private conversations.' She reprimanded.

'Oh, ho ho. Look at you. Bit hypocritical but I see miss high and mighty is back. Did you enjoy your vacation?' He smirked but didn't wait for her to reply. Blaise chuckled a little. Draco was teasing her. 'I'm sorry to listen in on the conversation but I think I may know who the perpetrator may be.' His tone turned serious.

'Who, Draco?' Mr. Zabini asked.

'My father. I'm not certain yet. But I have an inkling that he's behind it.' Draco explained. It made sense. His father was still riding the blood superiority train to insanity. Blaise looked at his parents and then at Ellie. All three of them were processing the information. 'I assume you would want to help Potter as much as you can. So, I hope this information might be useful.' Draco was looking straight towards Ellie; his voice had softened and his eyes displayed a hint of hopefulness.

This was a rare side of Draco that Blaise had never really seen. It kind of scared him. But he gave him credit for trying to be civil with his sister.

'Thank you, Mal…Draco.' She said. Blaise gaped at her. Had she really just used his first name? This day was getting weirder by the second. 'I know the boys won't be happy about this but seeing as you are our best chance of getting information from Lucius, I think you should sit in on the meeting tomorrow.'

Hold your horses. Blimey, did Hermione Granger just ask Draco Malfoy to sit in on a meeting with Harry Potter and the Weasleys? Merlin. Blaise was getting a headache.

'Thanks. Gr..uh, Ellie.' He said with a curt nod and waltzed out of the room.

'Um. What the heck was that about?' Blaise asked.

'What? He seemed keen to help out, he gave us the information. It is only fair that he be involved too.' She explained, quirking her eyebrow in challenge.

'Yes, son. I think it is only fair that he joins in. He was the one with the lead, after all.' He turned to glare at his mother, who only glared at him in return. 'Don't you dare try to challenge me. I am your mother.' She articulated, standing up and pulling on her husband's arm. 'Come, love. I think our children need some time to talk.' They both elegantly glided out of the room, leaving him alone with Ellie.

'Ellie. What are you thinking?'

'I'm thinking that he might be the only way to capture all the death eaters. He was one once. He can gain insider information, give it back to us. Whether or not he can be trusted is another thing entirely, but we have no choice. They've been no other leads.' She sighed in frustration. 'Blaise, what is this all about?'

To tell the truth, he wasn't really sure what this was about. He wasn't sure why he was so worried that something would happen to her. He was freaking out. But he was freaking out over nothing. Draco was not his father. Draco was his best friend. It was silly to think that he would hurt his sister. Besides, she wasn't going to be alone with him. Potter and the Weasleys would be there and he was going to make sure he was there too.

'I'm sorry Ellie. I just worry about you. You've had a lot of things happen in such a short time. There's only so much drama a person can take. I'm also worried something will happen with Draco being there.' He admitted and ran his hands over his face.

'Nothing is going to happen. We're just going to talk. You can be there too. You might as well know. You never know. This could be something to do with the prophecy.' She replied, glanced at the clock on the wall and stood up. 'But right now. We need food. I'm starving.' He looked at the clock and realised that had gotten really late in the day. It was now well past dinner time. He took her hand and guided her out the door.

'Come on. The elves will get us something to eat.'

They made their way to the kitchen. Upon them entering, the elves conjured up some leftover dinner of split pea soup and bread, with some pumpkin juice and they sat at the bench and ate.

'What is the plan, Elles?' He asked after a while.

'The plan is to meet with Harry and discuss what to do. Then we will try and make some headway and figure out what the whole prophecy means…' She stopped and realised something she had also heard earlier today. 'Hang on. When I overheard their conversation today, they said that Daphne had been suppressing another prophecy. It might have something to do with the other one.' She said, her mind was in gear and he was having trouble keeping up.

'Sorry? Another prophecy?'

_Merlin. Can everything just calm down? This was not normal. All he wanted was normal._

'Yes. Maybe I should ask her about it tomorrow. Damn. I'll have to apologise first. I'm still mad at her though.'

'Another prophecy? Daphne has another prophecy?' He was being slow but his head was really pounding now. He needed more sleep.

'Yes. Try to keep up Blaise.' She kept muttering on but he couldn't listen anymore. His head was too tired to comprehend what was going on. They finished their meal, thanked the elves and walked back up to their wing.

'Buona notte, sorella.'

'Goodnight Blaise.' He vaguely heard as he departed her presence into his room. Throwing himself onto his bed, he immediately fell asleep.

That had to be the strangest day of his life.

* * *

**Just a few notes: **  
** -I chose to mention the play Macbeth for a very specific reason. It will come more apparent later on but it is relevant to the story. **  
** -I'm not Italian and do not know Italian very well so if I have butchered or continue to butcher the language please don't be mad at me. I tried. **  
** -I chose to write Hermione/Ellie in a different manner which upset a few people. I'm sorry. But the reason for that was that she is on the path to discovering herself and the others around her (Spoiler maybe) and she is uncertain of how to act in certain situations. As the story goes on, I hope to bring more elements of the 'real' Hermione back in there. If you were expecting a 100% canon story, then you're in the wrong place. **

**Hope you're still enjoying the story. Back to a more regular schedule in a couple of weeks. Until next time. Zozo :)**


	15. Headways and Honesty

**Chapter 14**

* * *

(Blaise POV)

When Blaise woke, he was pleasantly surprised that his headache had ceased overnight. After the eventful day he had yesterday, he was grateful for some rest. But now he was awake, he was energised and ready to find some answers. Today was the day, they were going to get everything they needed to know. A slight thud beside him brought his attention to the present moment. Turning to see the culprit, he saw his best friend and sighed in relief that it wasn't another prank from his sister.

'Draco. What's up, mate?' He croaked, groggily.

'What's up? What's up? I'll tell you what's up. I have to sit in on a meeting with Potter and those Weaselbees again. You know I can't stop mocking them when they're around.' The blond ranted. Blaise sat up, immediately amused by his agitation. 'My god, they're all gits. Especially Weaselbee. The dude can't keep his fat gob closed. Plus, he's so thick. I'm surprised he's even got a girlfriend. Will you stop laughing?'

'I would mate, but it sounds like you've got a crush on Weasley.' Blaise stated matter of factly, barely containing his laughter.

'Blaise don't make me sick. I do not have a crush on that oaf. How many times do I have to tell you I do not like men? In the romantic sense that is. He is just so irritating.' Draco yelled at him in annoyance.

'Aw…itty bitty Malfoy can't admit that he has a crush on Weasley and Potter.' Blaise mocked, earning him a solid punch in the shoulder. 'Ow. Touchy. I'm only teasing you.'

'I know.' Draco sighed. 'But I want to be civil. I promised Ellie I would be. But I can't. I'm physically incapable. I just…' He stopped. Blaise quirked an eyebrow. Was he? No, he couldn't be. Was Draco really going to say what he thought he was going to say? Impossible.

'You just, what Draco? What is going on?' He pushed. Draco's eyes shut off. He wasn't going to reveal anything to him now. But Blaise didn't want to push it, knowing his friend's tendency to blow up. He would find out eventually.

'Nothing. I just don't want my head ripped off again.' He said lamely. Draco truly was a horrible liar.

'Mate, I'm pretty sure that's always going to happen with Potter and Weasley. Not so much Potter but Weasley has a temper like a toddler who won't get his sweets. You've made their lives hell for years. You can't blame them for reacting that way.' Blaise admitted.

'I'm well aware of that.' Draco said.

'I'm not sure what you want then.' Blaise said. He was getting confused. What was making him rant like this? Draco was keeping something from him. He knew he wanted to share it, but he just wasn't saying it.

'To be honest, neither do I.' He muttered and stood up walking slowly towards the door.

Merlin. He'd never seen his best mate like this before. Sure, he'd seen him upset, he'd seen him angry. Heck, he'd even seen him frustrated. But this was a whole new level of depression and it was freaking him out. He needed to do something about it.

_Ah. Of course. Nothing a bit of flying couldn't fix. _

'Draco. Wait up. Let's go flying. It's a great day for it.' He jumped out of bed, went to his wardrobe and pulled on a black t-shirt and some jeans, a pair of sneakers and went to join his best mate. He would get to the bottom of this, he was sure of it.

* * *

They had been flying for over half an hour but he hadn't said anything. He just kept flying around, periodically stopping and staring off into the distance. Something was eating him up. He didn't know what. But he knew it wasn't about Potter or the Weasleys. That was just the icing on the cake. Draco couldn't hide from him. He knew him too well. Blaise could think of a few plausible reasons for his attitude.

The first was his father. Ever since his childhood, Draco had been raised to believe muggleborns were mudbloods and anyone who believed in equal wizarding rights was a blood traitor. If he had gone against his father, he would be beaten to a pulp. Apparently, it had gotten worse as the years went on. His father would just abuse him no matter what he did. He had heard Narcissa had gotten the same treatment as well. But given their beliefs in pureblood society, she had refused to leave and she had refused to admit any such thing happened. Blaise couldn't understand how Lucius had gotten pardoned. He had never done anything good during the war. Maybe his fortune and contacts had gotten him out but he'll never know. But the man is pure evil. He abused his power and controlled those around him. For example: forcing Draco to marry into the Greengrass family.

And that was the second thing. Draco's impending marriage. Astoria was a spoiled brat who floundered money away on unnecessary things just because she could. She had been just old enough to stay at Hogwarts when the war was on but she had chosen not to, instead going home. She had no admirable traits except that she was beautiful and of wealth. He could understand why Draco didn't want to marry her. There was no substance to her. He needed someone who could be on the same wit level as him. Someone who would challenge him. Someone who would make him feel like he was their equal. Astoria was none of these things. That was why he could also understand why he wanted to stay here, away from it all. Blaise wondered if that was what was getting him down.

The third reason was his sister. For as long as he had known Draco, Ellie had gotten underneath his skin. He always just seemed bothered by her presence. Maybe, it was because he was no longer the smartest in the room. Maybe there was a lot more going on than just that. He hated to admit it but he couldn't ignore the way his best mate had looked at her. All the looks he had previously given her during school had disappeared. It had softened. No scorn. No hate. No jealousy. Instead it had been replaced with other emotions. Emotions that only a guy gave when he was invested in a girl. Lust. Admiration. Did he dare say it? Possibly even love. The very idea made him sick to the stomach. Not that he didn't want his friend's happiness. Of course, he wanted Draco to be happy. If his sister brought that to him, then he would support that. However, he knew the truth and it would be painful for them both and he didn't want to see either of them get hurt. He knew Ellie didn't feel the same way about Draco. She was still caught up on the way he had treated her. If Draco confessed his feelings to her and rejected him, he probably wouldn't take it very well. He didn't want his sister to be involved with his family either. Lucius had already threatened her once, who was to say he wouldn't go ahead on his threat if he found out about his son's feelings towards her. It was a disaster waiting to happen.

He was also afraid of letting go of his sister so soon. They had only just reconnected and he was loving their life together. He knew she would get married someday but it was just way too soon for her to be dating and getting married. Even though their parents had high hopes, he wasn't worried about the McLaggen situation. It was guaranteed to fail.

However, if it were Draco…He stopped himself right there. He was getting ahead of himself. He had no idea what was going on in either of their heads. He might be mistaken. There mightn't be anything to worry about.

He couldn't help but feel like they were a good match though. They both had intelligence. There was amazing chemistry between them. He remembered how legendary their fights were; sparks could almost be seen flying everywhere. Even when they weren't fighting, there was chemistry. Those intense stares from yesterday had proven as much. They both had ambition. Draco wanted a career and so did Ellie. They were both loyal as hell and they were both practical. The compatibility just all added up. He sighed. Maybe in different circumstances they would've ended up together. But there were marriage laws and supremist values to be obeyed. It was a shame. He might've actually liked being Draco's brother in law.

'Oi, mate. Do you realise you've flown straight into an olive tree?' Draco asked, smirking. Blaise hadn't been watching what he was doing and had indeed run straight into one of the olive trees in a grove (that couldn't be seen by muggles). The broom got caught and he fell to the ground with a thud.

'Well it's your fault for being a depressed lunatic. I've been worried about you since you came into my room this morning. What aren't you telling me?' He shouted in response, sitting and staring up at his friend.

'My fault? I don't know what you're talking about.' He said, smugly, knocking his friend's broom down to him.

'Oh, sod off, will you. I know something is wrong so just tell me what it is before I come up there and knock you off your broom.' Draco considered it for a moment and then flew down, dismounting as he hit the ground.

'I need Ellie's help.' He said finally.

'You need my sister's help? What for?' Blaise asked. That wasn't what he expected him to say.

'I need a way out of this marriage. She's good at research. She might be able to find me a way out of this contract.' He explained. Contract. That was not what a marriage was about. A marriage was based on mutual love and respect. It was not a business deal.

'Ok. But that doesn't explain why you went off about Potter and Weasley this morning.' Blaise was confused but somewhat intrigued by his plans.

'If I lose it with them, how will she ever trust me enough to help me? We called a truce. I promised I would be civil with her and her friends. But I can't.' He exclaimed, throwing his hands behind his head.

'I see and you want me to help by keeping you in control?' Blaise replied, looking up expectantly at his friend.

'Essentially yes. I know I'm not usually the kind to beg but please, Blaise. I really don't want to marry Astoria. Granger…Ellie is my best shot at it.' Draco begged.

_Wow. He's on the verge of desperate. _

He had only seen his friend on the cusp of desolate a handful of times. It definitely meant he was genuine. It surprised him that he was acting upon it this time though. Never before had Draco gone against his father's wishes. Blaise was seeing a whole new side to his friend and he had to admit, he was liking this side better. It was truly a spectacular turn of events.

'Why are you going against Lucius now? You've never done it before.' He queried. Draco's face went to stone at that moment giving Blaise a sunken lead feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had a pretty good idea why he was acting this way but he wasn't just going to impose on his friend's privacy.

'I don't know. Maybe, I'm sick of being controlled. I want to take control of my own life. I want to do what I want without my parents always sticking their heads in my business.' Draco turned towards the manor and looked up at the northern wing. That simple movement told Blaise all he needed to know. He definitely knew what was going on now. Draco truly was terrible at hiding his emotions.

Draco liked Ellie.

There was no denying it now. Part of him wanted to hate Draco with every fibre of his being. He was his best friend. Having feelings for your best friend's sister was breaking the bro code. Well technically not because he hadn't done anything with her, but it was still a no go. Besides, he had only just got his sister back. His whole world was becoming attached to hers and if Draco were to come in, he would take it away. He hadn't had enough time with her and there was so much bad blood between her and his family. It would cause so much damage.

But perhaps, just maybe. Maybe there was a slight chance that it would be ok. That was the idea that made part of him scream in joy. His best friend actually had good taste. Ellie was an amazing witch. Strong, resilient, resourceful, intelligent and beautiful inside and out. All traits that a man would want in a woman. He couldn't blame him. Draco deserved some happiness. Maybe, Ellie could make Draco happy. She was already making him happy. But she would have to change her mind about him first. That would be a hiccup.

He recalled the day where he had shown up drunk. He was pretty certain Draco had full control of his anatomy which meant he liked Ellie even before she was in her true form. Obviously, he had lied for years about his true feelings.

_Oh. He might not even know what these feelings are. _

Well that would throw a spanner in the works. What was the situation again now? Draco was in a marriage contract with Astoria Greengrass. But he had feelings, whether he knew it or not, for Ellie. Ellie didn't reciprocate his feelings. Lucius had threatened Ellie. Lucius did not know his son's feelings. Draco needed Ellie's help to get out of the marriage contract. Blaise and Ellie were caught up in a prophecy. Possibly another one. Death eaters were on the loose again. Potter and Weasleys were coming over. Merlin. His headache was coming back. They were all treading on thin ice.

He rested his head back against the tree and closed his eyes, forcing his head to transport his mind to his favourite place. He was standing on a beach, bare-foot, sand between his toes. The warm, golden rays of sunlight ebbed away as the clear, turquoise water lapped at his toes. A cool coastal breeze twisted salt amongst his hair as he stared into the distance. There were no worries. No concerns. The salty textured air, tickled his lungs, lightening the load and unconstricting his chest. He revelled in being alone. His mind going clear as he let the worries of his life leave his body. However, this time he wasn't alone. A honey-eyed brunette beauty was standing at his side, her waves pouring over her shoulders, twirling lightly in the wind. His sister stood beside him, staring out into the ocean with a gaze of contentment. At ease, he stared back to the ocean, continuing to take deep, slow, inhalations of the salty air. With each breath, his body became more enveloped in a sensation of complete relaxation.

He stayed like this until he felt a hand touch his and the moment was gone. He was back in the olive grove, his blond friend peering over the top of him with a quirked eyebrow.

'You ok, mate?' He asked.

'Yeah. All good.' He lied. To be honest, he wasn't sure how he was feeling. He wanted so many different things. There were so many different things going on. He sighed. Maybe it would all make sense once they found out more. Speaking of they had better get back. 'Let's get back. Can't keep the boy who lived waiting.' He got on his broom and flew back to the mansion, Draco at his tail. When they dismounted, they were confronted by Ellie.

'Where have you been? Harry should be here soon. Do you not understand the importance of today?' She said and slapped him with a book that she had obviously been reading. He heard Draco chuckle beside him but she then went to slap him with the book. He shut up immediately. 'Well?' She crossed her arms across her chest and was tapping her foot. Her face was scrunched up in frustration. Neither of them replied and she threw her hands up in the air. 'Never mind. I'm talking to a couple of idiots.' She said and stormed off back to the manor.

'What the heck is her problem?' Draco asked. Blaise just shrugged. He knew she would be tense. It was exactly how he was feeling too. There was just so much they didn't know and it was infuriating being kept in the dark. The two guys dawdled in and back to Blaise's room, placing their brooms against the wall as they walked in.

'So, what's the plan?' Blaise asked as Draco picked up the quaffle.

'What plan?' He tossed the quaffle to Blaise.

'To ask Ellie to help you.' He replied.

'Oh. Well. Now that we have a truce, I was wondering how to get her alone to ask her.' Draco said. The quaffle kept going between them.

'Really? That's it? No strategic plan of attack. This is Ellie, we're talking about here. Your losing your touch Draco.' Blaise joked. Draco fell back on his bed with an aggravated sigh.

'Can you really blame me? There's so much bullshit going on. I didn't exactly have time.' Blaise knew, more than he would like to let on, but he didn't really blame him. It had been a tough time.

'No. I don't blame you. We'll come up with something.' Blaise said.

The floo system went off and they both groaned. Potter and the Weasleys were here.

'Keep me out of trouble will you.' Draco groaned and rolled off the bed.

'No worries.' The two of them strode out the door towards the ballroom. Although, Blaise had sworn that he would keep him out of trouble, he knew it was going to be a tough promise to keep.

* * *

(Ellie POV)

She was so angry when Blaise and Malf…uh Draco had run off this morning. She had wanted to go over everything before Harry, Ron and Ginny got there. She knew that Blaise could keep his head when he needed to, but Malfoy had a reputation for letting heads roll whenever he got close to her friends. She knew they had a truce now and hoped that he would hold up his end of the bargain. However, when she went to find them, they had gone off somewhere leaving her a ball of nerves. The news of the released death eaters had unnerved her. Especially seeing as Draco believed Lucius was behind it. He had already threatened her life once. Now that his friends were loose, there was no saying if it would be worse. She might be frightened for nothing. Just because they were free, didn't mean Lucius wanted to tarnish his sudden returned reputation by associating with them. Did it? Her gut was telling her otherwise though. There was just something so malicious about that man that she couldn't disregard him just yet.

She was also worried about the prophecy. Well, prophecies. She wasn't one hundred percent sure what she and Blaise had to do. She had spent a good couple of hours last night deciphering the cryptic verse, scribbling meanings onto parchment before she had become too tired and went to bed.

_A lion and snake bonded by blood…_

Which obviously meant a Gryffindor and Slytherin would be connected by bloodline.

_Where buds bloom after a flood… _

As a rose would bloom after rain, she and Blaise would live happily after a trying period.

_However, a rose without thorns would be no_ _quest…_

Which she believed meant that it would be a difficult journey.

A_s a heart without love beats not against a chest…_

This last part stumped her. There were so many possible meanings. She had wanted to present her list to Blaise this morning but he had other ideas. So, she had just taken out a book from her collection, a newer edition of Hogwarts: A History and had gone downstairs to read in her newfound favourite place; the rose garden.

After about an hour or so, she heard the sound of broomsticks whooshing back towards the manor. Looking up from her book, she saw those two young men flying back to the manor. Her blood boiled. They knew what day it was today and they decided to go flying. They could have missed out on the meeting. She marched straight up to them and gave them a piece of her mind.

'Where have you been?'

Marching away from the boys, every fibre of her body screamed in anger. How dare they do that. They knew the importance of today. If they had missed the meeting, they wouldn't be any closer to finding the death eaters and returning them to Azkaban where they rightfully belong.

She took a deep breath.

_But they didn't. _

She sat down in the living room and closed her eyes.

_What the hell, Ellie. _

She must be losing her head. Maybe she was under too much pressure and she had finally cracked. So much had happened recently that she just couldn't process it anymore. She took a few more deep breaths and remembered what her old parents had taught her to do whenever she was completely stressed out. Drifting into a meditative state, she pictured herself on a sandy beach. A tranquil place of absolute serenity. She took in her surroundings; breathing in the salty air, feeling the coolness of the ocean breeze lifting her hair and allowing it to drift behind her. She sensed a presence of someone else behind her. She was generally alone so this was unexpected. Turning to see the intruder, she saw her brother. His brown eyes sparkled in the reflection of the sun as he trained his eyes to the calm rolling waves. His tense, muscular body visually relaxed with each inhalation he took. The image instantly made her feel at home and she sidled up beside him to join him staring at the ocean. She stayed there a moment longer, reeling in the feeling of complete Zen, before bringing her attention back to the room she was in. Then coming back to the moment, the sound of the floo alerted her to her friends' arrival.

'Bloody hell. Is this really Zabini Manor? Because…bloody hell.'

'Ron. Stop being so crude. You know they're wealthy.' Ginny reprimanded her brother.

'I know but our whole house could fit into this room alone.' Ron replied.

Ellie got up and walked towards her friends.

'Hermione?' Harry stepped forward cautiously. 'Is that really you?'

'Yes, Harry. It's me.' Ellie answered and gave her friend a hug.

'Bloody hell. What happened to you? You're hot. Uh. Not that you weren't before or anything but you're really pretty now.' Ron flushed.

'Watch what you say Weasley.' Blaise walked into the room, followed by Draco, he went to put his arm around Ellie's shoulder. 'That's my sister you're talking about. Potter. Weaselette.' Ellie punched him in the side. 'Ow. Sorry. Harry. Ginny.' He nodded his head towards them.

'Blaise. Malfoy.' Harry nodded his head in response. Draco stood back, keeping his mouth shut, but gave a curt nod. 'Shall we get on with this then?' He moved towards the chairs, everyone following suit.

'Wow, Ellie. You look amazing.' Ginny gushed.

'Thanks Gin. So, Harry. What have you got so far on the case?' She changed the subject, unsure of how to accept the compliments.

'Not very far, I'm afraid. Most of the death eaters apparated as soon as they were released and we have no way of tracing that. We have had no information on sightings or any possible leads, well that was until yesterday.' Harry looked expectantly at Draco. Ellie turned to look at him too. His eyes immediately caught hers and then turned back towards Harry's a second later. No one noticed though. 'Well, Malfoy. You said you had a lead.'

'Yeah. I believe my father is behind this. I took a look at the accounts before I left and he had been doing some dodgy deals again with black marketers down on Knockturn Alley. I don't know. He's just been on edge lately. It seems like the only logical thing. Despite being pardoned, he hasn't lost any of his pureblood beliefs.'

'I can vouch for that, he threatened Ellie.' Blaise cut in.

'What?' Draco spat out. His face got red after he realised what he said. Ellie noticed her brother smirk.

'I said your father threatened my sister.' Blaise repeated.

'Oh right. I remember you said that now. What did he say?' Draco asked, a hint of curiosity and concern in his voice.

'He told her if she didn't stay in her place, he would make sure her life was a living hell and he physically abused her.' Blaise said. Ellie sunk back into the lounge. She didn't like remembering that moment. Draco turned to her, his tone of voice softening.

'I'm so sorry my father hurt you, Ellie. You don't deserve this.' He said. Ellie gave a small smile in return. Ron's jaw dropped.

'Blimey. What the bloody hell is going on here? Did the ferret just apologise to Ellie? This is messed up.' He said.

'The only thing messed up is you, Ronald.' Ellie burst out. 'You're the one who didn't believe me when I said I was a Zabini. You're supposed to be my best friend. Why would I ever lie to you? I have been nothing but loyal to you, your friends and family and how do you repay me? You called me a bitch and you didn't want to see me anymore. How could you not trust me?' She was yelling. 'Besides, Draco and I have a truce.'

'I…well…um…' Ron stuttered.

'Spit it out Weasley. We haven't got all day.' Draco said, which earned him a glare from both Blaise and Ron.

'I just couldn't believe it. At the time, it just seemed so strange and I guess I was jealous. I let my emotions rule over my sanity. I'm sorry Her…Ellie. I didn't mean what I said. I hope you can forgive me.' He said, grovelling. All the others in the room looked at her. 'Please Ellie. I promise not to doubt you again.' Draco snorted but got punched in the shoulder by Blaise.

'Ok. Apology accepted. But if you do that again, I will get your mother to send you a howler like second year.' Ellie said. Ginny and Harry laughed. Ron blushed. Draco and Blaise exchanged confused looks. When the laughing died down, Blaise spoke.

'Ok. Enough with the apologies. What are we going to do now?' He asked.

'Well. We need to get someone to track Lucius' tracks and business deals. Malfoy. I think you're the only one who can do that.' Harry said pointedly. Malfoy nodded in response but looked reluctant at the thought of having to go home. 'Ellie. We'll eventually need to reveal your true identity to the public. Hermione has been gone too long without a trace and people are becoming suspicious.'

'There is also lots of speculation on who the long lost Zabini is, it's like they're losing their minds.' Ginny added, bringing out the Daily Prophet and handing it to Ellie.

**ZABINI TWIN REVEALED **

_Rita Skeeter_

_It was revealed three weeks ago, that the Zabini family, owner of Zabini Estate in Florence Italy, have a secret daughter. A twin to their son, Blaise, nonetheless. Her name was Eleanora Zabini. However, three weeks ago, a certain Miss Hermione Granger, war heroine and best friend to none other than the boy who lived, Mr. Harry Potter, went 'missing'. Is it merely coincidence that these two events coincided? I believe not. Eleanora's middle name is Hermione. Hermione goes missing. Could it be that the lost child is indeed not lost but has been under another alias? Is Hermione Granger truly Eleanora Zabini? The Zabini family have refused to comment at this moment on the identity of their daughter, however, have said that she is indeed alive and well. Also, strict Owl Post regulation has indicated that Miss Granger and Mr Potter have been in contact via long distance. This is a very mysterious case indeed. More details to follow. _

Ellie was fuming. She should have kept that woman in a jar. She had no right to go nosing into her business. She thought she had taught that woman her lesson. Obviously not. That woman will get her just desserts if it were the last thing she did.

'Ellie? Are you ok?' Ginny asked and she snapped her head back up to her friend.

'Sure.' She plastered on a fake smile. The five other people in the room were staring at her, fully knowing she had just lied.

_Merlin. She was a terrible liar._

'Ok. So, I'm not. That heinous Skeeter woman is trying to control my life again.' She admitted. 'But she will get what she deserves eventually.'

'It's going to be easier to reveal you to the public now though.' Ron said.

'And just how are you going to do that? The press will make a field day if she just shows up next to Potter and Weasley. It doesn't seem like a very dignified way of going about it.' Draco drawled.

'No one asked for your opinion ferret.' Ron snarled in response.

'No, Ron. Draco's right. We need to be smart about the way we go about this.' Ellie said, offering a small smile towards Draco, who returned the gesture. 'I'll be hounded for months for an interview. If I give an exclusive to Skeeter, it might lessen the chaos.'

'Are you sure, sorella? Skeeter can twist your words.' Blaise said, touching her shoulder with concern.

'Yes. I am. I know what Skeeter is capable of, but the wizarding world seems to believe her stories, no matter how outrageous they may seem. It's a risk worth taking.' Ellie said.

'Hang on, that's just ludicrous. Harry and Kingsley are having a press conference later today. Why don't we reveal your identity through that?' Ginny piped up. 'That way, you don't have to sit through an interview with Skeeter and everyone's questions can be answered.'

'Well, why didn't you say that before, Weaselette? That's a perfect way to reveal it.' Draco said, earning another glare from Blaise. Ellie had to admit that it seemed like a better option and she could avoid too much drama.

'Alright. What do you say Harry?' She asked, all eyes turning to him.

'Yeah. Let's do it.' He agreed.

* * *

Three hours later, Ellie was sitting in a back room of the conference centre in the Ministry of Magic, waiting to be called into the conference room. Harry had been allowed special access into the floo in Kingsley's office and he had taken her through that route. Upon arriving Kingsley had looked taken aback but Harry had explained everything to Kingsley. He had been shocked but accepted the news, welcoming her back to England and on board for the case.

The two men had then been shuffled off to the conference room by a stuck-up secretary of about fifty, who returned moments later to take her to the back room. The lady had scrutinised her and scoffed when Ellie sat down. It was evident that she didn't like her. She had a piercingly shrill voice. She had told Ellie she would be called into the conference by Harry after they had presented their findings (or their lack of), before sneering once more and leaving the room, nearly slamming the door behind her.

Now she had been waiting for about half an hour, staring at the clock on the opposite side of the room. She was nervous. There were going to be so many questions. She may like answering academic questions but when it came to herself, she found it so difficult. She knotted her hands together, feeling the sweatiness of her palms. She then rubbed them on her plain black pencil skirt. She had opted for a simple, teal blouse and a pair of black heels to compliment the outfit. Her soft curls where left out but she had put silver barrette clips on each side to keep her hair out of her face. Her look was simple yet elegant.

A knock on the door, alerted her to the fact it was time to face the music as her muggle parents had once said. She got up and made her way to the door, taking a couple of deep breaths. She was greeted by Harry who gave her a warm smile before leading her to the stage side. Kingsley was speaking to the crowd. He turned his head to see them both, gave a smile and then continued.

'Now, we have a new member on the task force who you may remember from the golden trio. Hermione Granger. Hermione is here today but not as you may remember her.'

Harry led her onto the stage and she heard many gasps and whispers around the room from the reporters.

'Miss Granger recently found out a piece of information that proved her identity to be false. She had been under a glamour charm for eighteen years. Her true identity is none other than Eleanora Zabini.' Shouts erupted around the room, each reporter wanting to get their questions answered. Flashes of cameras went off.

'Quiet, please. Eleanora is here to answer your questions. Eleanora?' Kingsley turned to her and she swallowed hard, walking up to the podium. He grabbed her hand, gave it a comforting squeeze, before she addressed the audience. Many reporters were already shouting and asking her questions. She noticed Rita had slipped into the room up the back. She pointed to a young man who resembled the recent Colin Creevey and swallowed hard.

_Here goes nothing._

'Eleanora. How did you find out you were the long-lost daughter of the Zabini family?' He asked. A few cameras flashed again, making her flinch a little but she took a deep breath and began.

'I came across my birth certificate in the Hall of Records which seemed a bit too odd for me not to ignore. I got the parentage test done, confirming I was her.' She said. Ellie pointed at another reporter, this time a red-haired woman wearing a red blouse and a grey plaid skirt.

'Why was the birth certificate not discovered until then?' She asked, a couple of agreed whispers occurred amongst the crowd.

'The certificate had a special charm placed on it which meant that it would show up as another child's until my eighteenth birthday by which time my real parents would come and find me. However, they did not know who I was, nor could they find my muggle parents, who they had left me with as I had sent them away under different alias' and they no memories of me or my life.' She explained, then pointed to a man in a green tie and grey suit.

'So how did the Zabini find out you were their daughter and how did they react?' The man asked.

'Well, there was the article in the prophet that revealed that there was a second child. So, I had flown over to their manor with the parentage papers and told them. They were shocked to say the least but welcomed me with open arms.' The reporter nodded and scribbled down his notes. 'Anyone else?' Skeeter's arm went up and she scowled lowly before nodding at her.

'What would you say to those pureblood supporters who will hate you for being a muggleborn turned pureblood and also the best friend of none other than Harry Potter?' Rita asked, sending low murmurs of interest around the room. A few more flashes of the cameras went off as Ellie considered her answer. That was a tough one. How dare she put her on the chopping block like that. She had no right. But thinking about that question made her think about the prophecy. Was she and Blaise meant to do something about pureblood supremacy? She thought a moment longer before putting it simply.

'I am who I am. If anyone can't accept that, then that's their problem. No more questions.' She ran off stage, leaving all the reporters jumping out of their seats wanting to ask more questions. Harry came running after her. Kingsley addressed the audience.

'Quiet down. It's all a shock. However, Miss Zabini will not be answering anymore questions at this time. This concludes the press conference. Light refreshments will be provided outside. Thank you.' He turned and walked off into direction that the other two had run off in.

* * *

'Ellie. Ellie. It's alright. I know it's overwhelming but it was just Skeeter. She loves messing with people's heads remember. Especially ours.' Harry caught up to her in the back room of the conference centre.

'It's not that, Harry. Skeeter just made me think about the prophecy.' She said, pacing a couple of times before sitting down.

'Wait. What prophecy Ellie?' Harry sat down beside her.

'Daphne or Theo, one of them, made a prophecy about me and Blaise. Right here is not the place for it. Can we go back to the manor now? I need to explain it and there are too many ears here.' She said.

'Is everything alright in here?' Kingsley came into the room.

'Yes. Just a bit overwhelmed by it all.' She lied. 'We had better be going back to Italy now.'

'Oh yes. Well, feel free to use my floo. I have some things to attend to. Miss Zabini, it is great to see you again.' He said and glided out the door.

'Let's go Harry.' Ellie pulled a very confused Harry out the other door with her.

* * *

Meanwhile in Diagon Alley, a young couple had just exited Talisman Real Estates and had walked up the street towards the pub. An older man stood in the shadows observing them. He had been in the alley, doing a spot of shopping when he had spotted them, ducking out of sight. What were they doing in there? He wondered. Once they were out of sight, he snuck back out and towards the real estate agents. He had been meaning to go there anyway. They needed a property. Perhaps, if his thoughts served him well, he could snap up the bargain he was sure he had just found. Stepping into the office, he begun his work. An hour and a half later, the deal was done.

_Oh, they will be pleased._

* * *

**A lot happened this chapter and I hope it all is still making sense. I'm not sure I liked the way I wrote Hermione/Ellie in this chapter. But anyway. Enjoy. Until next time, Zozo. :) **


	16. Revelations and Realisations

**Chapter 15**

(Draco POV)

The two Weasleys, Potter and Ellie had been gone for about an hour now and Draco had settled onto the lounge in the living room with a book. He felt a bit more relaxed now that the Golden Trio had gone. He had been civil enough, but too much longer with Weasley in the room and he would have lost it. He would be glad to be finally rid of all the drama in his life, but when that would be; he didn't know. He sat quietly, reading his favourite journal, The Practical Potioneer, hoping that one day his dream of becoming a potions master would become a reality. A sudden whooshing sound made him look up from his reading and he nearly jumped out of his skin. There in front of him was his wife to be, her face simmering with anger.

_Oh great. Here we go. _

'Draco Lucius Malfoy, I've been worried sick. You were supposed to be home yesterday. What are you still doing here?' She yelled. He stood up and walked over to the window, not wanting to answer the girl straight away. 'Draco! Are you even listening to me? I'm your fiancée. The least you can do is listen.' She marched over to him and slapped him hard across the face.

'Ow. Tori. Seriously? I'm listening, alright.' He yelped in pain, protecting his face with his hands.

'Well, why didn't you come home? We are supposed to be planning our wedding.' She demanded, her hands on her hips and her eyes seething with anger. When he didn't answer right away, she started tapping her foot. 'Well? I'm waiting.'

'I didn't come home because I'm staying here for the rest of the summer, Tori.' He said forcefully.

'What? No, you are most certainly not. You did not tell me you were doing that.' She replied. 'You're coming home with me, today. I won't take no for an answer.'

'No Tori don't tell me what to do. It's my life and I will do what I want with it and I say I'm staying here. End of discussion.' He snarled back at her. She huffed in frustration, her face getting redder with each second.

'Well, this is quite a predicament you two are in.' They both snapped their heads to the door to see Blaise walking in. 'Hello Astoria, pleasure as always.' Blaise's voice oozed with sarcasm.

'Blaise. Always wonderful to see you too.' Astoria replied, equalling the level of sarcasm in her tone. 'Draco was just telling me that he believes he is staying here until school goes back, but he has duties at home to attend to and it is important that he comes home. I will not leave until he agrees to come back with me.' She explained.

'Ah, but you see, Tori. Draco has duties here as well, with me. Hmm, hang on. Does your mother know you're even here? I distinctly remember her saying at the last cocktail party, when you snuck in, that if she ever caught you travelling internationally again without permission, she would…um…what was it again Draco?' He asked, turning to his friend, giving him a wink to tell him that was his cue. It went unnoticed by the witch.

'Ah, yes I believe she said that she would make you work with the elves for a week, without the use of magic.' Draco smirked.

'So, you're taking his side then Blaise. I see how it is. Well, my father will hear about this and he will make sure you will come home whether you like it or not.'

Draco just laughed coldly. 'Oh, how forgetful you are love. If you tell him that, you will have to work with the elves without your wand. All that hard-manual labour. Cleaning the house, the dishes, the clothes, weeding in the garden and let's not forget cleaning the toilets. Your poor delicate hands would get so many calluses, you would be dirty and not very lady like at all. What would all the pureblood men say. That I work my girl too hard? She is merely a kitchen wench? Would you dare tarnish my reputation by having to work with those creatures because you couldn't be a good girl and obey orders?' Draco said, slyly. Astoria's face screwed up in disgust and horror.

'Disgusting, filthy, little creatures.' She snarled. 'Alright. You win. Stay here for all I care. I can plan it on my own. Goodbye you jerks.' She walked over to the floo and disappeared a second later. The two men chuckled, that was a lot easier than he thought it would have been. Astoria truly was the perfect pureblood wife material; stuck up and submissive. She really couldn't match Draco's intelligence. He knew his life would be boring if he married her.

'Merlin. How positively dim can you get?' Blaise questioned after he controlled his laughter. Draco groaned in agreement.

'Thanks for helping me out there, mate.' Draco replied and sat down again to read his book.

'You're welcome. We'll find you a way out of this, don't you worry Draco.' He replied, sitting across from his friend. 'So, I've been thinking about how we can get Ellie to help you.'

Draco sat up and quirked his eyebrow as he turned the page. 'Really? What did you have in mind?'

'Well, I thought we might…' Blaise told him every detail of his elaborate plan, Draco nodded and modified it where it was needed and before long they were in agreement. Just as well, for a moment later, Potter and Ellie returned. He swallowed hard at the sight of Ellie. She was particularly beautiful today with a black pencil skirt which highlighted her figure and a teal blouse which complimented her newly darkened skin tone. The heels she wore made her legs look longer than they were and he could feel his blood run south again.

_Merlin. What was wrong with him? BEST FRIEND'S SISTER. BRO CODE. PANSY PARKINSON._

The last thought made him smirk and mentally laugh, making his blood pressure plummet back to normal. He looked between the brains and leader of the Golden Trio and judged from the looks on their faces, the reveal hadn't gone so well.

'How did it go?' Blaise asked, jumping up and wrapping his sister in a hug.

_Blaise had always been the affectionate one. _

He imagined what it would be like to be the one hugging her. Was it as warm and comforting as it looked? He guessed he'd never know. He chastised himself again before they continued.

'Not so great. I gave them all what they needed to know however; I ran off part way through. One of the questions made me think about the prophecy.' She answered.

Blaise's eyes widened and gestured for her to come and sit with him. Potter followed suit. The four of them sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment before Potter spoke.

'So, what is this prophecy all about?' He asked, curiously.

'Wait here. I'll go grab my paper and I'll be back.' Ellie rushed out of the room, leaving the three men in an uncomfortable situation. Neither Blaise nor Draco felt fully comfortable in being alone with Potter. The war may have been over and all prejudices been put aside but socialising with a different crowd after all these years just seemed completely odd. Draco went back to reading his journal, focusing on a paper written by Dumbledore himself, just to avoid talking to them. But then Blaise addressed Potter.

'So, how much did she say to them?' The black-haired boy looked up through his glasses at him.

'Just enough to cover it, but with the way she ran out, I'm not sure how they'll spin it.' He said, rocking back and forth in anxiety. Blaise nodded and Draco peered at him from behind his book.

All his life he believed Potter had thought he was better than anyone else. Ever since he rejected his friendship back in first year, he had stuck with this belief. Granted, he hadn't been so nice back then with having to keep up a façade for his father's sake. So, maybe he had misjudged him, just as he had misjudged Ellie. Looking at the man, he was not stuck up at all. He was a normal guy who just happened to have fame thrown upon him. Now, he felt like a royal arse. He was going to apologise for being an absolute idiot all along but Ellie came back into the room, a piece of paper clasped in her hand.

'Here we are.' She sighed and sank down onto the lounge next to Blaise, handing the piece of paper to Harry. 'I broke the prophecy up into lines to make it easier to understand, however, the last part still makes no sense to me. It might not even be relevant but I doubt it.' She rambled as Potter read. Draco was still pretending to read but silently observed them.

'So, you and Blaise have a difficult task ahead of you apparently.' He said after he absorbed the information. 'I'm sorry I don't understand the last part either. If you can't, how can I possibly? You're the one who helped me with my essays in school.' He said. Draco was learning a lot about Potter today. He really had been an arse.

'Yeah, I know. But you never know, someone unexpected might have a different view on it.' She replied, sighing and taking the piece of paper back and handed it to Blaise. 'But the thing is, when Rita asked that question about pureblood supremacy, I couldn't help but feel it might have something to do with that.' She explained.

'What? You mean, you and Blaise are destined to defeat pureblood supremacy? I don't even think that is possible Elle. How would you even monitor that anyway?' He queried. 'It seems a bit far fetched don't you think?'

'I suppose you're right. But you never know with these prophecies.' She answered, shrugging her shoulders.

'I thought you didn't believe in all this divination stuff anyway.'

'I usually don't when it's to do with the tea leaf readings and tarot card stuff, but when it's a proper prophecy I do. Professor Trelawney's became true so why can't Theo's?' Ellie did make a good point. Prophecies weren't to be taken lightly. They could mean anything. Maybe he could decipher it for them. A fresh set of eyes never went astray.

'Can I have a look at that paper?' He asked. 'Please.' He added for good measure. Blaise handed him the piece of paper and he admired Ellie's handwriting. Her calligraphy was magnificent. The delicate loops were meticulous and elegant. It suited her character, he admitted. He read through her thoughts and agreed with the first three lines. The last line also puzzled him.

_As a heart without love beats not against a chest. _

The only thing he thought of was of his father and how he was so cold as he had no love. But that just didn't seem right. He shook his head and handed the piece of paper back. All three pairs of eyes were on him.

'No, sorry. Have no idea.' He said and went back to his journal, pausing briefly during the next sentence he read.

_Unless they could take it as them falling in love with someone along the way? _

He kept that thought to himself. He didn't want to think about love anymore. It just bummed him out that he would never know what it would feel like. He also didn't want to think about prophecies anymore either. He had enough drama on his own plate to deal with. Suddenly feeling hungry, he placed the journal down and stood up to walk to the door.

'Where are you going mate?' Blaise piped up. He stopped mid-track and turned around.

'Going to get a bite to eat.' He said and continued out the door. He walked downstairs to the kitchens. Along the way, he heard the whooshing sounds of the floo and just assumed Potter had left. Upon entering the kitchen, Jinx, one of Blaise's personal elves came up to him. He was wearing an orange suit and tie.

'How cans Jinx help you, Mr. Malfoy?' He squeaked.

'I'll just grab something to eat, thanks Jinx.' He replied.

'Sweet or savoury sir?' The elf asked in response. Being a sweet tooth, he replied that he would like something sweet.

'Oh yes sir. Right away sir. Anything you say sir.' The elf popped over to the pantry and pulled out an alarmingly large chocolate cake. He cut a large piece of it and placed it in front of Draco.

'Will this do sir?' The elf squeaked; a worried look spread across his face.

'Yes Jinx. That looks absolutely amazing, thank you.' He smiled at the elf, who bowed and went off in the direction of the laundry. The kitchen was otherwise vacant of elves and he was glad to be alone. Draco sighed and walked over to the island where a jar of cutlery was sitting, pulled out a fork and went back to the breakfast bar to eat. A moment later, he heard the sound of someone's footsteps getting nearer. They were light and he wondered who it could be. There were only three women who it could have been at the moment. Mrs. Zabini, Daphne or Ellie. Mrs. Zabini and Mr. Zabini had left for the day on a business meeting so it wasn't likely to be her. Daphne and Theo had gone to Diagon Alley earlier this morning and had said they wouldn't be back until after dark. So, it wasn't likely to be her either. But maybe they had returned earlier than they anticipated. He hoped it was the third option. She hadn't left his mind recently. Mainly because he wanted her help but partially because he seemed to be attracted to her. The footsteps got closer and he prayed it would be her. The brunette he couldn't keep his mind off emerged a second later and he silently whooped.

'Mind if I join you?' She asked. 'I haven't eaten all day.' At the sight of her, his palms suddenly got sweaty and his nerves rose. He gulped and managed to control his blood pressure.

'Go ahead, I don't mind.' He gestured for her to come in, trying to look as nonchalant as possible. She gave him a warm smile and walked over to the island.

'Gods Draco, do you want diabetes?' She asked noticing his gigantic piece of cake in front of him. He looked down at the cake and laughed.

'No, Jinx just gave me a slice this big, I'm sure I won't finish it all.' He answered, giving her a small smile back. Then he had an idea. 'You're welcome to share it with me if you want.'

She frowned. 'What? Are you sure you would want that? Won't you get cooties or whatever?' She replied. He sighed in frustration; she still didn't trust him. He didn't blame her though. He hadn't shown her that she could.

'Oh, please Ellie, I don't mind at all. I don't believe in all that childish crap. Besides I don't really want to waste food.' He replied. He watched her contemplate him, judging whether or not she should. Eventually, her hunger got the best of her and she gave in, grabbing a fork and going over to sit next to him. She pierced a tiny bit off and placed it in her mouth, moaning in satisfaction. Draco nearly had a heart attack right then and there. He imagined he was the one who made her make that noise and he flushed, trying to control his sudden urge to jump her. He took a deep breath and took a bite himself. It really was delectable and melted in the mouth, there was a swirl of a sweet, chocolaty flavour around the mouth. He groaned as well, noticing her blush a little. Maybe he wasn't the only one affected. He took another bite.

'You know, my muggle parents would kill me if they knew I was eating this.' She said out loud. 'They were dentists. They tended to people's teeth.' She said, taking another bite.

'You talk as if they're not here anymore.' He replied. Had her parents died?

'Well, essentially they're not. I obliviated them during the war. However, I couldn't reverse the spell. They're in Australia.' She explained, suddenly getting sad.

'Do you miss them?' He wondered out loud. Obliviating her parents must have hurt. The two people she would have loved most were gone. No memories to laugh and cry about. Nothing. Then finding out they had lied to her, her entire life, must have been a kick to the stomach. But they had raised her and were her parents, nonetheless.

'Everyday. But I know they're safe and I know they're happy so I couldn't ask for anything more.' She gave a small smile. 'Sorry, you don't want to hear about this.' She went back to eating the cake.

'No, that's alright. I did ask.' He replied. He hadn't known any of this. He didn't know what he would've done in the same situation. Sure, he would love to obliviate his father. Maybe he wouldn't be so evil then. But his mother, he just couldn't live without her. Heck, Ellie was a strong woman. They sat in a comfortable silence, eating the cake a little longer. He then realised he could probably ask for her help now. Blaise did have a plan, an elaborate one of that, but she seemed at ease and she was alone. The timing seemed right. He cleared his throat.

'Ellie, there was something I wanted to ask you.' Her breath hitched in her throat and she tensed a little but then her strength overruled and her demeanour became tough.

'Ok, what is it?' She replied, her tone exuding intrigue. His palms were getting sweaty again and he couldn't come up with the right words to say it so he just decided to say it.

'I need your help to get out of my marriage to Astoria.' He said, wiping his hands on his pants. She sat there stunned for a moment before placing her fork down and turning to face him.

'You want me to help you get out of your marriage agreement? Why? Why me?' She asked, quirking an eyebrow.

'Because I don't love her. Heck, I don't even like her and seriously Ellie? You're asking me why I came to you? You're the only one I know who understands wizarding law and it's loopholes that isn't associated in some way to my father.' He replied. She lifted the side of her mouth in thought. He was really hoping she would agree. He didn't want to be doomed his entire life.

'What's in it for me?' She asked, finally.

'I don't know. What do you want?' He replied. He hadn't thought about her wanting something in return. She would have his eternal gratitude. No that probably wasn't enough. He watched her frown and chew her lip.

_Merlin. Did she know how attractive she looked when she did that?_

He really had to control his urge to rip her clothes off now. He was becoming hot and bothered in her presence but he was pulling it off as nerves. Why did he have to be so attracted to this woman in front of him? He rubbed his hands on his pants again and closed his eyes briefly only opening them when she spoke.

'If I am to help you, I will need to know that Harry and I can both trust you to get the information needed to capture all of the death eaters. We will need you to take an oath where you will be cursed if you betray it.' She said. She was considering it. His head silently whooped again. Then he considered what she had said. He could most definitely get that information and he wasn't likely to betray their trust. He wouldn't go back to that life ever again. All it caused was pain and it was still causing pain. He was so desperate to get his own life back that it didn't take long for him to decide.

'Alright. I will take the oath.' He stated. 'Do we have a deal?' He held out his hand for her to shake.

'It is a deal.' She took his hand and shook it, giving him a smile which he reciprocated. He sighed in relief. That was also a lot easier than he expected. He had expected her to put up more of a fight. But she had remained calm and made it an even agreement. He admired her professionalism. It was a nice change from all the exchanges he had with women in the past including her. He silently cheered. Things were looking up for him.

'So, when do you want me to look over the contract?' She asked suddenly, making him jump and nearly fall off his seat. 'Are you alright, Draco?' She turned to him again and smirked. Her smirk was nearly a trademark Malfoy one, which scared him even more. He cleared his throat again.

'Uh, I can stop by home tomorrow and bring a copy back here. I can also get some of the bank statements from my father's accounts.' He suggested and she nodded.

'Alright. Sounds good.' She agreed. 'I'll try to help you but I can't promise I'll find anything. Pureblood marriage contracts are extremely difficult to break.'

_Didn't he know it._

'You had better come upstairs again. Harry and Blaise can witness you taking the oath.' She said. Wait? Did she just say Harry was still there? Then who used the floo?

'Is Potter still here?' He asked, trying to maintain his discomfort but to no avail.

'Yes, HARRY, is still here.' She emphasised. 'And if you want to stay here Draco, you're going to have to get used to him coming around. He's my best friend.'

She had a point so he just shrugged and they both disposed of the plate and forks in the sink and walked back to the living room, where Blaise and Potter were talking. When they entered, they had been laughing about something but stopped when they saw him. Well that truly was an odd sight.

'Draco has promised to take an oath to our cause.' She proclaimed. 'I was thinking you two could be the witnesses.' The men nodded in response. Ellie gestured for him to sit on the lounge. She sat in front of him on the coffee table and took out her wand. Grabbing his writing arm, she turned it over and pointed her wand at his wrist. She then muttered a spell before staring straight into his eyes.

'I need you to keep looking at my eyes for this to work Draco.' She said and he heard Blaise snicker a little in the background. He cursed his best friend. When he looked at her golden orbs, the moment suddenly felt intimate. Her molten amber eyes trapped him like a bug and he could not bear to look away.

'Do you, Draco Malfoy, pledge your allegiance to the light side and promise to provide any information that may support the cause?'

'I solemnly swear to do so.' He replied. A burst of yellow light sprung from her wand onto his arm, sending a warm feeling through his veins.

'Do you pledge to tell us the truth and to not betray our trust?'

'I solemnly swear to do so.' He replied, sending another spark of energy onto and through his arm.

'Do you promise to do all in your power to protect those on the light side, if any harm shall try to befall them?' She asked.

'I solemnly swear to do so.'

'Do you accept that you are fully aware of the extent of consequences that will behold you should you betray this oath?'

'I am.' Another shot of energy. She smiled at him but he was still captivated by her eyes.

'Draco Malfoy has pledged his allegiance to the light side and if he betrays the trust, he will be cursed for eternity.' She declared, sending one more shot of energy into his arm before removing her wand and letting go of his hand. His arm screamed at the loss of contact but he continued to stare at her, which made her blush. The two other guys raised their eyebrows in response. Potter coughed to get his attention.

'Welcome to the light side, Malfoy.' He extended his hand for him to shake. He snapped his head away from her to shake it. Blaise came up beside him, pulled him up and dragged him over to the other side of the room.

'Wow, mate. I can't believe you actually did that. What made you do that?' Blaise asked.

'It was Ellie's condition for her promise to help me.' He mumbled.

'So, you asked her? Without the plan?' He asked.

'Yeah. She didn't really fight it either.' Draco looked over to Ellie who was laughing at something Potter had said. She turned slightly to see him looking at her and she smiled at him, sending butterflies into his stomach again. He smirked back at her. Little did he know Blaise saw the whole thing.

'So, you like my sister then.' Blaise blurted out, smirking, hardly containing his laughter. Draco blushed and turned wide-eyed to his friend.

'What did you just say?' Draco spat, getting all flustered. He didn't know how he felt about her. Sure, she made his body react in a way he had never felt before, he admired her for her bravery and smarts. But like her? Nope, he didn't think that was right. Was it?

'I said, you like my sister. You know like-like.' Blaise smirked and playfully punched him in the shoulder.

'Sod off. I do not.' Draco scoffed.

'Come on, mate. I've seen the way you look at her. I've seen the way you tense up when she's around you. I've seen the way you come alive in her presence in more ways than one. You can't deny it.' Blaise replied. Did Draco really like Ellie that way? He just couldn't tell. He hadn't liked anyone before. Sure, he had been attracted to other girls but this time it seemed different. He hadn't felt like this about anyone before. Maybe he did like Ellie. It was a logical conclusion.

'Shit.' He exclaimed, making his friend laugh and the other two look over at them in concern.

'Everything alright?' Potter asked.

'Uh yeah, it's all good. Blaise just told me that the Falmouth Falcons lost to the Appleby Arrows.' Draco lied. The other two shrugged and went back to chatting between themselves.

Fuck. He really did like Ellie. Was that really a bad thing though? Sure, he had never hated her in the first place. She was actually quite pretty back then and even more so now. She was intelligent and could keep a conversation. A conversation would never be boring with her. She was hard-working and always did things in a logical and practical order. Now that he thought about it, she was close to his perfect match. He was surprised. He didn't think he was capable of such emotion and it made him want to jump for joy. Maybe he would feel love after all. But did she even feel the same way about him? Sure, she reacted to his stares and presence but that could just be attraction. And how would Blaise react? His best friend would surely kill him. Now that he knew his feelings, he couldn't bloody well do anything about them until he knew the truth. He mentally groaned and turned back to his friend.

'So, what if I do.' He said. 'I can't do anything about it. Now you hate me, don't you?'

'On the contrary.' Draco raised his eyebrow. 'Alright, part of me wants to beat you into a prune. But honestly, I have seen you two and, in my opinion, you would make a great match. If it is to be, who am I to stop it?' Blaise explained.

'But she won't like me like that. She still doesn't think much of me.' Draco sighed and palmed his forehead. 'What if I can't get out of this marriage? I will always know there was someone out there for me who isn't my wife who I could've been happy with.'

'Calm down, Draco. Give it time. We'll get you out of it. We've got a year.' Blaise said.

'And if I do get out of it and she still doesn't like me back?' He questioned.

'Then there are plenty more fish in the sea.' He said, aware of how cliché it sounded. But little did Draco know, that his friend had complete faith he could convince his sister to love him. Even if it did mean sacrificing his precious make up time with his sister.

Draco shrugged and went back over to sit with Potter and Ellie. He sat down as close as he could to her without raising suspicion. He looked at her and tried to imagine his life with her in it. The image was as vivid as the day and they were blissfully happy. He just couldn't believe it.

* * *

(Daphne POV)

'Oh, superior one. You don't know how hard it has been to keep this in. I'm so tired all the time.' Daphne cried into her hands. 'I'm afraid by doing this, I've hurt all my friends.'

'Hush, dear child. All will be well. They will forgive you. Eleanora will forgive you.' The superior one took her hands and gave them a squeeze.

'How do you know?' She asked, sniffling.

'Because the stars have for told it.' She said with a wistful tone. Daphne looked sceptical.

'My child. You and I have the gift of the inner eye; please tell me you don't mistrust me.' The older lady said.

'I do trust you, superior one.' Daphne replied. 'I just hope the stars have predicted right.' She looked up above her. The trees towered over them as the sky started to become dark. The distant thunder of centaur hooves could be heard rushing to their meeting spot. The world was becoming chilly as night approached and Daphne shivered. The woman noticed.

'Come my child. It is time the fire was lit.' She said, dragging Daphne along with her. The older woman began chanting and twirling around the pit; the sacred song where melodic notes vibrated off the surrounding trees and called the others to the spot. The older lady suddenly stopped, threw her hands at the pit, and it roared up in flakes of amber. Stepping back, Daphne felt the heat radiate into her skin. The woman walked around to Daphne again, placing her hands on her shoulders. 'Someday my child, you will be destined for great things.'

The hooves thundering became more distinct and closer and many other people began to apparate in. Looking around, Daphne saw Theo amongst the crowd and they smiled at each other. She went to join him, but the superior one stopped her.

'No. You will not join the ranks just yet. For now, you shall stay here with me.' The superior one dragged her away and Theo cocked his head and mouthed 'what?'. Daphne shrugged, equally as confused. Once the covenant had appeared, the woman addressed them all.

'My brothers and sisters, I have called you here tonight as it is a very special night. I've been consoling with the stars and I have finally made a conclusion; a decision if you will. I have chosen my successor.' A few murmurs occurred through the crowd. 'Silence. But first, the progress on the Zabini prophecy must be told. Daphne has informed me that the death eaters have been released from their prison and Eleanora has revealed herself to the public. Be on high alert. Many will not take this news well. Remember no harm shall befall the twins.' She stopped and threw some dust into the fire, making images appear within it. The prophets gathered around closer to observe the images. They were of Ellie and Blaise, joining hands and pointing their wands towards something ahead of them. A jet of red and green light spurted from their wands and the image disappeared. The prophets then stepped back. The superior woman continued.

'Now, for my successor. She stands with me tonight. Her wisdom, bravery, ambition and loyalty have brought her here. She will be shown the respect you have given me. Without further ado, brothers and sisters, I give you Daphne Greengrass. Your next superior one.' She announced and a burst of applause came through the crowd. Daphne was beside herself. What? She was going to be the next superior one. She couldn't take on such a sacred role. Why her? She was inexperienced. She was untrained. She was not even out of school.

'But superior one, why me?' She whispered.

'You have been chosen my dear. Not by me, but rather the stars. They appear to have seen great things coming from you. Do not appear so worried. I will remain here, I will train you and prepare you, until such a time when I feel you are ready to take over. My dear, you have an amazing gift and you will make a great leader.' The superior one explained, running her hand down Daphne's cheek. Then she addressed the rest of the cohort. 'Join me in blessing our next leader.' She shouted and began chanting blessings. Daphne blushed and stared out at Theo, the love of her life and he was grinning up at her. When the blessings were done, Daphne joined the ranks, next to Theo. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it in comfort. She vaguely heard the superior one speak.

'Now, as for the other prophecies…'

But then she completely blanked out what was being said. She. Daphne Greengrass. First daughter of the Greengrass family. Was going to be the next superior one. It was wild to believe. What she had done to deserve such an honour, she will never know.

* * *

**Here is the next chapter...Now the story will get interesting. Cormac makes an appearance next chapter. Until next time, zozo :) **


	17. Dates and Deals

**Chapter 16**

* * *

(Ellie POV)

As promised, Draco had brought the documents over the following afternoon. She had been sitting in the library reading a herbology book when he entered. Sighing in frustration, he dumped the paperwork in front of her and rubbed his temples, sinking into the chair next to her.

'Are you alright, Draco?' She asked, her voice echoing concern.

'Yeah, just nearly had a run in with Astoria. Transfiguration finally came to good use.' He replied.

'How so?' She was intrigued now.

'I managed to transfigure myself into a suit of armour just in time. She's taken over the manor, I swear. Everything is getting redecorated.' He admitted.

Ellie chuckled in amusement.

'Well thanks for getting me these anyway.' She said. 'Harry will be pleased.'

'It was no trouble at all.' He replied, calling a house elf to get him a glass of fire whiskey.

Ellie began looking at the contract. It was unlike any contract she had ever seen before. The clauses were written in such a complicated manner and she knew this was going to be difficult. But she had made a deal and she was up for the challenge. She looked up at Draco who was now sipping on his fire whiskey.

'You're still here.' She muttered.

'Good observation, Granger.' He drawled, sarcastically. 'Would you like a gold star for that?' Well he certainly was moody today.

'Haha, very funny. I thought you would want to do something else, rather than sit and watch me read. It might take me a while.' She stated.

'And I have nowhere to go, so just read, woman.' He smirked at her. It was kind of unnerving having someone stare at her whilst she was reading and she shivered under his stare.

'If you're staying here, can you at least read a book or something, it's creeping me out, having you stare at me?' She asked. He placed his glass down and stood to find a book, returning a moment later with another potioneer journal.

'Is this better, your royal highness?' He teased, raising his eyebrow at her.

'Much. Thank you.' She turned to the contract and began deciphering the meanings.

They spent much of the next two days in the same manner. Sometimes Blaise would join them. Sometimes either Theo or Daphne had joined them. But Draco, never really left her side. She had stopped briefly to read the Daily Prophet that first afternoon. All the reporters had spun the story like she had wanted them to, however Rita's was a little different. She believed she was embarrassed by her heritage. What a load of garbage. Given all the other stories, no one would believe her though, so she hadn't worried. Harry had also come by to collect the bank statements Draco had retrieved.

But now it was Saturday afternoon. She had promised her parents that she would go on this date with Cormac McLaggen. She had received a letter, late yesterday afternoon from him. Draco had retrieved it and had scowled at it when he passed it to her. The guy had reserved a table at the finest, wizarding, dining establishment in the UK. The Waterfront Faire. Situated in Brighton, Sussex, the establishment attracted a large crowd of 'higher class' folk. It was rumoured that at night, the place was enchanted to have wispy, patronus like creatures swirl around, providing guests with table side entertainment. The dress code was strictly formal and Ellie sighed in frustration. She had wanted to avoid that. But given that he knew who she was or rather who she had been, she assumed she could be wearing a potato sack and he still would feel the same.

Now standing in her wardrobe, she was trying to decide which gown she should wear. She didn't want to give him the wrong impression. She was only going to appease her parents and had every intention of dumping him as soon as she could. Every gown that her mother had provided her with just didn't seem right. All of them just seemed too risqué or too extravagant. Calling upon her elves, Sandy and Jackie, she asked for their opinion.

Sandy suggested a royal blue off the shoulder ensemble. The dress had been understated, plain and cinched at the waist before billowing down to her ankles. She loved the dress; however, it had a slit in the bottom which she believed went way too high. So, she discounted it. Jackie had then suggested a much more elaborate black and pink ombre ball gown. It had a princess style, with an A-line neckline and was covered in sparkles. She admitted that this dress was beautiful too but it just seemed too over the top. So, then she asked her elves to get her mother.

Valentina rushed through the door, merely a couple of minutes later and picked out a red satin formal dress. It was form fitting, highlighted her natural figure and accentuated the cleavage a little too much. A slit ran up the leg to near her hip.

'Oh, you look absolutely divine, my dear.' Her mother said. 'He will just love you in that.'

_Thanks mum, that's not what I was aiming for._

She smiled at her mother and merely agreed with her to get her to leave. As soon as the older woman left, she gagged and discarded the dress to the side. Searching through the rest of her dresses, she finally found a simple, purple, satin dress that was full length, A-line silhouette. It was perfect. It didn't show off too much nor did it over showcase her. Putting it on, she looked at herself in the mirror and nodded in approval. She found a pair of thick strapped white heels and went to her dresser in her room. She decided to do very simple makeup and left her hair down only placing a silver barrette clip in one side, not wanting to look too overdone. When she was satisfied, she went back to her wardrobe to look at herself in the full-length mirror. Hopefully, she had done enough and not overdone it. Going back to her room, she sat down on her bed, waiting for the time he would pick her up.

He promised to be by at six and it was now 5:30pm. She sighed and decided to go and see her brother in the next room to pass the time. Upon entering, however, she immediately saw Draco. His eyes nearly fell out of his head at her appearance. He raked his eyes over her appreciatively and she blushed again. Her hormones went wild, sending butterflies to the pit of her stomach. She had no idea why he was suddenly having such an effect on her. But she admitted that she had liked the way he had looked her over. Her mouth going dry, she swallowed hard before speaking.

'Do you know where Blaise is?' Draco did not say anything but instead pointed towards the wardrobe, her head following his finger. She called out to him and he mumbled a coming in response. He entered the room a minute later, clad in a white shirt which was half done up, black trousers and Italian leather shoes. He was doing the buttons up on his sleeves.

'Wow. Ellie. You look great.' He said, walking over to her and giving her a hug.

'You don't think I overdid it?' She asked.

'Absolutely not. It won't drive Cormac insane or the establishment to throw you out so it's perfect. Purple really suits you. Don't you think Draco?' He turned to his friend and smirked.

Draco swallowed hard and threw a half-hearted glare at Blaise before replying. 'Yes, it does. You look great Ellie.' His cheeks flushed a little in embarrassment. Probably because he wasn't used to seeing her in a dress, she assumed.

'So, the big date with Isobel tonight?' She asked Blaise.

'Yeah, I'm taking her to the Silver Serpent. It's supposed to be really good. Draco actually recommended it.' The boy by the window looked up briefly and half-smirked before looking away again.

An elf popped in suddenly. This one was wearing pink.

'Excuse me, mistress Ellie. Mistress has sent me to inform you, Mr. McLaggen has arrived.' The elf then bowed and popped out. Ellie groaned out loud.

'Somebody just kill me now.' She joked. Blaise placed his hand on her shoulder.

'It will be ok, Elles. You've handled the slimy git before. Just think, in a couple of hours it will be over.' He said.

'I wish you were going to be there with me. It would make me feel a lot better.' She replied. Draco's ears perked up at that.

'Don't worry Ellie. You are capable of handling this yourself. Relax.' He comforted.

'He's vile, but ok. Wish me luck that I don't murder him.' She joked again and left reluctantly. She heard the boys chuckle a little before she made her way down the hallway and down the stairs, all the way to the front foyer.

Her wire-haired date was wearing a tuxedo and stared up at her, gobsmacked at what she wore. His jaw dropped to the floor; his eyes unwavering. It disgusted her. Not like the way Draco had run his eyes over her merely minutes ago. Cormac looked at her as if she were a piece of arm candy or meat; take your pick.

_Well I'm glad I didn't wear what my mother wanted me to, he would've had an aneurysm. On second thought…No I'm not that mean._

She chuckled at the thought and descended the stairs, trying hard, really hard, to plaster on a smile. She observed him. Sure, she knew he was an attractive guy but she also knew how ugly he was on the inside. As she joined him at the bottom of the stairs, he took her hand and kissed it.

'Enchante Eleanora. Or should I say Hermione? Might I say you look absolutely stunning tonight. Did you dress up for me?' He wiggled his eyebrows, stirring her urge to vomit all over his shoes.

'Pleasure as always Cormac.' She lied. 'Shall we go then?' She asked, wanting to get this over and done with as soon as possible.

'Absolutely. Grab your coat then.' He replied. Ellie walked over to the coat closet and pulled out her bone coloured trench coat and put it on. 'Perfect.' He grabbed hold of her arm and they side apparated to Brighton.

* * *

When they got there; she nearly was sick. Did Cormac not know how dangerous it was to apparate from Italy to England? She could've got splinched. He let go of her arm and began marching over to the restaurant.

_Merlin. He was so rude._

'Well are you coming or not, Granger?' The way he used her former last name rattled her. This was not a great start. She'd rather take the latter option but she owed it to her parents to at least try. She half-ran in her heels with great difficulty to catch up with him. He stopped about a hundred meters from the restaurant to wait for her to catch up. When she caught up to him, he grabbed her arm once again and led her swiftly towards the restaurant on the harbour.

'So, Granger, what have you been up to lately?' He asked, staring at his nails on his free arm. 'Oh, never mind that we're here.' He responded a moment later interrupting her before she could start. Did this guy even like her? He went up to the reservation desk to sign in and a waiter took her coat. She smiled and thanked him before following Cormac to the observation deck where he had booked a table. He sat down, not even offering to pull her chair out for her. She sighed and sat down a moment later. Once settled, a waiter waltzed over.

'Excuse me, would you like the wine list?' He asked and Cormac all but snapped it from the poor Frenchman.

'Of course, we want the menu.' He near shouted, making the others around them look up in shock. Ellie took the time to look around her surroundings. The place was packed with witches and wizards of all kinds of aristocracy. The rumours were true that creatures danced around in the sky, making enchanting movements. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that they were actually Cornish pixies. She thought that was odd, usually they would get up to more mischief than that. She then looked out the panoramic windows to see the sun setting over the calm, rolling ocean. It would have been more enjoyable if her date wasn't such a prick, she admitted.

'Ah yes. Here we are. We'll have a bottle of cabernet sauvignon right away.' He said, flicking his wrist at the waiter, who baulked his eyes but obeyed none the less. A moment later the wine in an ice bucket and two glasses appeared in front of them.

'Thank you.' She smiled at the waiter who nodded and walked away. Cormac had already popped the cork and was smelling the wine. He then poured some into his glass and swirled it around. He did not offer to pour some into hers. Sighing again, she picked up the bottle and poured some into her own glass, before setting herself back at the table, near glaring at the boyish man in front of her.

'So, I suppose I should tell you what I've been up to.' He said. 'I have sustained a very prestigious job in the Department of International Magical Cooperation and the International Magical Trading Standards Body at the ministry. As you well know, my family is big in the ministry so you shouldn't be so surprised. I've actually been working on some legislation for trading sealing wax. You see the wax coming from the States is not up to standard. Plus, there is some animal welfare issue concerning the collection of Jarvey sweat, the special ingredient in their formula, in a manner that is unsustainable as they are trying to mass produce the product.' Cormac kept ranting on about his life, but Ellie just tuned him out, pretending to listen and nod. The man sure like to talk about himself. She began to look around the restaurant again, noticing the décor. The tables and chairs were vintage and elegant white. Crystal chandeliers hung from the roof. A bar sat on the edge of the restaurant in front of the kitchen. The sun had finally set and on the observation deck, the roof had been enchanted to look like stars. Cornish pixies continued to fly around, causing beautiful, sparkling patterns of blue throughout the air. It was truly an enthralling display. She followed them around with her eyes for a moment longer when the waiter returned to the table to take their order.

'Excuse me, how have you made the Cornish pixies behave?' She jumped in, intrigued to know the answer.

'Ah, yes. They are a special kind of pixie. You see, they look like Cornish pixies but instead they are indeed Irish pixies. Instead of mischievous behaviour, these ones are calm. We had them imported from Galway. But they are very well looked after.' The French man assured.

'Ah yes. I remember seeing that actually. My department worked on the legislation. Apparently, there were concerns about…'

'Can we just order please Cormac.' She interrupted him, not remotely interested in his bloody legislation. She hadn't even looked at the menu yet but as she did, Cormac decided to order for her.

'She will have the salmon piccata and I will have the braised duck.' He ordered. Ellie frowned. Who the hell did he think he was? How dare he order for her. She was fully capable of making up her own mind, thank you very much. The waiter went to put the order in and she wouldn't be surprised if he spat in his meal.

'I'm capable of ordering my own food, Cormac.' She fumed. He laughed it off.

'I'm sure you are, love. But you're going to have to get used to me ordering for you if we are to be married. Speaking of marriage, when we do get there you will not work. I'll be able to provide everything for us and we'll start having kids right away. All strapping boys.' He continued to rant on, but Ellie stopped hearing him. That was it. The final straw. The insufferable man didn't want her to work. There was no way she was going to become a trophy wife. There was absolutely no way she would give up her career to be a stay at home mother. She was not going to be used just for breeding. How archaic of him to suggest that. She suddenly imagined the life he had planned out for her. For them. It made her feel absolutely sick to the stomach. There was no way she was going to sit here and suffer any longer. She was going to give him a piece of her mind.

'How dare you!' She raised her voice and stood up. 'I am not just a piece of meat, a piece of arm candy for you to parade around your friends. I'm not some ditsy trophy wife. I will not be told what I can and can't do. Especially by you.' Cormac frowned, his face getting red and he stood up to fight her. 'I came on this date to give you the benefit of the doubt, to appease my parents but you have not changed one bit. You're still an egotistical, arrogant, conniving arse who thinks the world revolves around him. I thought you were back in school and you still are now. Good luck in finding a wife because it most certainly won't be me.' She yelled, making the others in the restaurant stare towards them in shock. She went to leave but he grabbed her arm. Struggling to pry her arm from his iron grip, she nearly fell backwards into a nice elderly couple. Apologising to the elders, she then glared back up at him, all the while struggling to become free. His face became redder by the second and he made a nasty face at her, gritting his teeth.

'Now, you listen here, you little wench.' He tugged on her arm, pulling her back to him so she was pressed up against his chest. She struggled to get free but he still had an iron grip on her. She was frightened he would actually do something to hurt her now, but she didn't let him see it. 'Your father has promised me your hand and you will marry me and do what I say or I will make your life miserable.' He said.

'You see that's the thing McLaggen, SHE wasn't the one who promised.' Another voice entered the conversation, making Cormac jump and release her arm. She quickly went to stand behind the other person, glad to be free but not wanting to risk being caught again. Cormac's face became sinister when he saw who had just addressed him. He laughed coldly, sending a shiver down Ellie's spine.

'Oh, what do we have here? Do you really think by stepping in, it's going to change anything? Ellie is mine, whether she likes it or not. There is nothing you can do to stop it. Our fathers are already drawing up the contract as we speak. It's done.' He paused. 'Malfoy.'

'No, Ellie is not yours, McLaggen. The only person who owns her, is herself. You can't control her. She's a person and has a right to live the way she wants.' Draco forced back. Ellie couldn't believe it. Draco Malfoy was defending her honour.

'Hah. Look who's talking. All you, pureblood elitists are the same. You control your wives. You stop them from going into the workforce and honestly, I have to agree with these methods. I'm only protecting her from the corporate world. She has no idea what the men in the business world are like. They prey on women like her, forcing them into situations and blackmailing them if they are to disobey, they are a weakness. It's not a safe world out there for women, like her. By making her to stay at home I am making sure they do not harm her. Surely you understand that, Malfoy.' Cormac explained. Ugh, who the hell did he think he was? As if a few sleazebag businessmen could keep her from working. Besides, if they tried to get the upper hand she could and would hex them into oblivion. They'd have Harry Potter to answer to as well.

'You are stuck in the middle ages, my friend. Women like her, are stronger than any man. Do you know what she went through in the war? Do you know how much pain she had to suffer at the hand of my deranged aunt? Did you even bother to ask? Women like her, are smart enough the navigate their way out of situations and away from them. Women like her, need work. Not for money but rather for intellectual stimulation. Women like her, would get bored sitting at home all day. Get your head out of the past McLaggen, Ellie is the strongest witch…no, person I know. She has suffered torment and torture much greater than most men. Hell, everyone in this room probably. Ellie is the brightest witch of her time; I have utmost faith that she would navigate the corporate world without dramas. How many times did she help save Potter from Voldemort? The wizarding world would be at a loss if she were to become a recluse. So, stay away from her McLaggen or you will have people to answer to.' He shouted. Cormac just clapped his hands.

'Well done, Malfoy. I bet you feel better now. Sticking up for the weaker man. I bet your father would be proud.' Sarcasm oozed in Cormac's voice. 'I bet he would love to know that you're sticking up for Granger. Now that I think about it, I wonder why I didn't see it before. It is so blazingly obvious.'

'What are you talking about, McLaggen?' Draco warned. Ellie sensed it was about to get violent. Pulling out her wand, she prepared for the worst.

'I wonder if your father knows how you feel about her. I'm sure he would have a thing to say about that.'

Draco launched himself at McLaggen, throwing fistfuls of hate into the wiry man's face. The other guy was fighting back. Shrieks of horror escalated around the room as staff came rushing over to pull the two men apart. However, they had no such luck.

'You don't know anything about me or my family.' Draco shouted continuing to throw punches, pulling Cormac's back around to face Ellie.

'Petrificus Totalus.' She yelled, the spell hitting Cormac square on the back, making him freeze and drop to the ground. Draco stood over the top of him, blood was on his fists and dripping from his lip and nose. He looked at Ellie and moment of absolute panic crossed his face. Shaking it away, he walked over to her.

'Come on, Ellie. We're done here.' He walked past her and through the restaurant, leaving out the front door. The shocked customers and staff all looked at her in expectation. She swallowed and cleared her throat.

'I'm sorry to ruin such a lovely evening. I will pay for any damage. Do what you will with him. He is not my concern.' She said, pointing at the guy on the floor and went to follow Draco out of the restaurant, picking up her coat before she left.

* * *

He was outside, about three hundred meters away, waiting for her on the stone wall, staring out into the ocean. She shook her head. What had he been doing there? Why had he followed her? Was what Cormac said true? Did he really like her? And why was that idea not revolting her? She shook her head and walked down the road to him. She wouldn't find out until she asked him. As she approached, she magicked a cloth to clear away the blood.

'Here.' She handed him the cloth, sitting down beside him. 'This should help.'

'Thanks.' He uttered and took the cloth, dabbing at his bleeding mouth. She stared at him. He was wearing a business suit and tie, his hair, although originally slicked back was slighted tousled from the fight. His steel grey eyes reflected in the streetlights, making them silver. Despite his bloody, bruising face, she still found him quite attractive. She could see his muscles through his shirt and it made her bite her lip, imagining what it would feel like to be snuggled up against it all night. A stray hair blew over his face in the ocean breeze and it took all her strength not to reach out and tuck it back behind his ear. Forcing her hormones to behave, she took a deep breath.

'Thanks for standing up for me in there. I wasn't sure how I'd get away from him.' She said, finally.

'You're welcome. The guy's a right git, trying to make Hermione Granger a stay at home wife. I know he's a rich bastard but still…' He tampered off.

'I know. I only went to appease my parents.' She said, he turned to stare at her. 'I've always known what he's like.' She paused. 'Draco. Why did you follow me tonight?' She watched him as a slight bit of colour came into his cheeks but he didn't take long to respond.

'I wanted you to know that you could trust me to have your back. I know I took the oath and what not, but it wasn't enough.' He replied. She supposed that was a good enough answer, although she couldn't help but feel there was something else going on. 'But now I'm glad I did.' He offered a small smile and then stared back into the darkness above the ocean. They sat there for a while, in comfortable silence. They watched as the restaurant owner dragged McLaggen out of the restaurant, kicking and screaming vengeance, before disapparating as quickly as he came. She sighed and Draco turned to look at her, she felt his hand on hers a second later, drawing her attention to him. She quirked an eyebrow.

'I have your back Ellie. Come on. Let's get you home.' He said, his eyes agleam with a hint of something. Her heart pounded in her ears and she felt her hormones race through her blood, there was no denying how attracted she was becoming to him. Staring into those eyes again, she searched for something to tell her he felt the same way. But she couldn't be certain for he turned his head away, standing up and offering his hand for her to take. Taking it, he helped her up and then let it go before setting a nice even walking pace up for them to go down the street. Cormac's statement was still pounding in her head. Did Draco truly have feelings for her? Is that why he came after her? Is that why he stood up for her? Is that why he wanted out of his marriage? For her? She mentally slapped herself. She was getting too far ahead of herself. This was Draco Malfoy we were talking about here; the guy was unpredictable as hell. Cormac was just upset that he had interrupted him, her head was telling her but her gut was telling her otherwise.

* * *

(Draco POV)

As they were walking down to the boulevard to find the wizarding portkey lender, Draco was mentally kicking himself. He had nearly effed it all up. He had nearly revealed his feelings to her. But he did not regret stepping in. Cormac McLaggen deserved every single punch that he threw. The guy had always been a self-righteous prick who had fraternised with nearly every girl in Hogwarts. Unfortunately, he had set his eyes on the one girl who could see through him. Wrong choice. Ellie could defend herself; he knew that. But as soon as he had seen McLaggen grab her arm, something had snapped within him. All he could see was the image of her being tortured in the drawing room of Malfoy Manor by Bellatrix. Her piercing screams reverberating in his skull. He couldn't remember how many times he hadn't been able to sleep because of that night. He had been so helpless in that situation. He couldn't do anything for fear his aunt may have done something to him, for fear his parents would do something to him. As he stood in the restaurant, staring at the events unfolding, he had known he wasn't helpless anymore. Jumping forward, he had gone straight in for the verbal attack, trying to be tactful about the way he went about this. Maybe it could prove to Ellie that he had indeed changed and he could be trusted. Maybe it could prove how much she meant to him. She was his saving grace. His one thing that was motivating him to freedom; the only thing that truly mattered to him in that moment. He needed to protect her. He needed to reignite her fighting power. He needed to get her to choose him on her own terms. For Ellie deserved so much better than Cormac McLaggen. Not saying that he was any better than all the other guys she could potentially date, but he'd be damned if he lost her to anyone else. She was worth it. She had opened his heart to love. Something he had never thought he was capable of. It was a strange thought, that he had only come to the realisation three days prior but his heart had truly known ever since she had punched him in the face during their third year.

He had followed her in the pretence that it may provide her some comfort knowing someone had her back. Blaise couldn't very well have done it, being off with Isobel MacDougal in Diagon Alley. But now that he had punched the bastard up, he wasn't sure how she felt. He slowed his pace a bit more and apologised.

'I'm sorry for crashing your date and having a punch up. Even if he did deserve it. I know you probably didn't want me there.' He said, sheepishly, turning to face the other way. Ellie stopped and cocked her head at him, before giggling.

'Draco, why would you say that?' She asked. He shrugged in response, trying to gauge her attitude. When she saw how serious his face was, she sobered and placed a hand on his shoulder. His skin seared at the contact. 'Draco. It's ok. I'm glad you were there and you are right, Cormac did deserve everything you threw at him.' She smiled up at him and before he knew it, she had kissed him on the cheek. She blushed and continued to walk towards the port key lender. His cheek burned from the spot where her lips had been. He was gobsmacked. So, he had done the right thing. He lifted his hand to his cheek and stared after the brunette, grinning to himself. Maybe everything would work out after all. He chased after her, only catching up when they reached the stall. The stall was basic and an old, bald man with rotting teeth stood behind it. The stall to muggles would look like a homeless guy with an abnormal number of saucepans. Draco chuckled at the thought. When the man stood up from his crouching position, Ellie instantly recognised him.

'Mundungus Fletcher. What the hell are you doing here?' She asked, her eyes narrowing. Obviously, something horrible went down between this man and Ellie. What, Draco didn't know. The man looked up at her, his demeanour instantly becoming cowardly.

'Please don't hurt me Hermione. I've become an honest man, I swear.' The man pleaded, his hands somewhat shaking. Whatever this man had done, it sounded like it was dodgy.

She scoffed. 'I'll believe that when I see it.' She folded her arms across her chest and the man only then realised she was not alone.

'Mr. Malfoy. I didn't realise you and Ms. Granger, were so close.' He said, intrigue suddenly crossed his face, a hint of mischief playing in his eyes. Draco knew this man was trouble waiting to happen.

'We're not. We just need a port key to Florence, Italy if you don't mind.' Ellie forced out.

_Ouch. I have a lot of work to do still. _

'Ah. And what might you have been doing in Brighton tonight? Going on a date perhaps?' The sleaze said, pointing at their outfits.

'No. Of course not. Fletcher, the port key if you please?' She was getting angry for the second time that night.

'Alright. Alright. Touchy little witch. I'll be just a moment.' The older wizard ducked under the counter and Draco took the time to give her a questioning look, she shook her head and mouthed later. He nodded in response. The older wizard popped up from behind the stall a moment later and presented them with a copper, kettle lid.

'Here we are. This should take you to a field at the edge of Florence, the port key stand will look like a donkey and cart. Take it over to the back alley. It should leave in about ten minutes.' He said, a mischievous look on his face again which made Draco reluctant to trust him. The man sensed his unease. 'Go, go. Don't mind me. It's completely foolproof, I swear.'

The two of them walked over to the back alley. It was completely deserted and was dark. Draco pulled out his wand.

'Lumos.'

Ellie followed suit. They made their way to the back where it was completely out of sight and placed both their free hands on the kettle lid. The energy pulsing through the lid started to get stronger and they both extinguished their wands, preparing for the sickening tug on their navels which would take them back to Italy. Three seconds later, the alley was deserted again.

* * *

He wasn't too used to travelling by port key. His father had never approved of the mode of transport when he was growing up, so when they landed, he had faceplanted into some soft grass. Groaning he rolled over to see Ellie had done the same. She rolled over and then stood up. The kettle lid sat deserted about a meter away. He picked it up and stood, looking around them. The full moon shone brightly, so it was easier to see. They located the donkey and cart at the bottom end of the field and walked down the undulating slope.

'So, who is this Fletcher guy?' Draco asked in curiosity.

'He's nothing but a money crazed thief who thinks he can launder away anything as long as he gets what he wants.' She said.

'So, what did he steal from you?' He asked. It was evident that this guy had stolen something from her and she wasn't happy about it.

'He's stolen a lot of things, especially from the order. He stole the locket horcrux which we had intended to destroy and lost it to Umbridge.' He shivered at the name. God, he had never really wanted to be on the inquisitor squad but for appearances sake… 'Anyway, it doesn't matter now. It was destroyed and Voldemort is gone.' She said. He just nodded in response, clearly, she was done talking about it.

As they approached the bottom of the hill, the donkey and cart transfigured into a little hut with an open window. A portly woman was sitting inside, smoking a pipe with bubbles coming out the end of it. She narrowed her eyes at them and then just pointed to a bucket which had appeared beside the hut. Draco placed the lid in the bucket and the hut resumed the donkey and cart form.

'Merlin, I never knew how sketchy the port key transport truly is.' He muttered out loud. Ellie chuckled.

'You should've seen the ones at the Quidditch World Cup.' She replied. 'Come on. Home is this way.' She pointed towards some fields where there were what appeared to be fairy lights lighting up rows in an olive grove. The impressive Tuscan mansion sat behind them. It would take them all night to get back at this rate. He pulled on her arm to stop her.

'You forget Ellie. We can apparate.' Her eyes widened at her mistake and she bit her lip. He chuckled.

'Come on then.' He apparated with her not too far behind.

* * *

They landed in the rose garden outside the manor. Not wanting his time with her to end so soon, he delayed by taking them on a moonlight stroll through the garden. His head laughed at how romantic this situation would seem. But she obviously didn't seem to mind for she seemed entranced by the garden at night. Each plant was lit with the glow of fireflies. When they took flight, they left a trail of sparkles behind them. Draco remembered Blaise had told him that the fireflies were actually enchanted and were a gift from Newt Scamander's grandson Rolf. He decided to tell Ellie the story.

'Did you know, apparently, your family contributed to the funding of the magizoologist, Rolf Scamander's discovery of a rare phenotype of the remora which allows it to be ten percent stronger than the rest of the population? There was an article in the zoology magazine which I found to be a quite stimulating read.' He recalled. 'Rolf paid all his donators back with gifts that would benefit them. In the case of your family; enchanted fireflies for the garden.'

She looked up at him in surprise. 'No, I hadn't known that.' They continued up the path until they reached a small table and chairs. He pulled her seat out for her as she sat down, then he went to sit across from her. She looked around, mesmerised by the sparkly trails that were patterned throughout the garden. He observed her. She truly was beautiful. Her raven hair tumbled over her shoulders in light wavy curls. It looked so soft, he had to retain his urge to reach out and run his hand through the silky tresses. Her olive skin tone was speckled with tiny freckles, which could barely be seen. Her almond shaped eyes glistened in the moonlight; expressive and in awe of the environment around them. Her nose hadn't changed he noticed as he made his way down to her lips. The most delectable lips he had ever laid his eyes on; glossy and oh so kissable. He wanted to grab her face in his hands and claim them as his, forever. She was flawless, in his opinion. But he knew she didn't feel the same way about him. It was evident in the way she spoke to him, the way she reacted. There was no love, maybe a hint of kindness but no love. He wasn't sure that she'd ever love him. But he could hope. He heard her sigh and he wondered what she was thinking about.

'A sickle for your thoughts?' He asked.

'I'm just glad that it's over.' She replied, smiling at him. Her smile was infectious and sent a warm, comforting feeling down his body. Merlin, if he couldn't have her love, he could just settle for being friends, as long as he could get to see this smile. He had it bad for this woman. He knew it. But in this moment, he really didn't care. He was just focused on taking in the essence of his surroundings. He was sure, he would remember it for the rest of his life. She suddenly stood up.

'It's been a long night. I'm going to bed. Goodnight Draco. Thanks again for your help.' She leant over and he felt her soft lips brush his cheek for the second time that night.

_I could really get used to this._

Then he watched her walk all the way into the manor. He sighed in contentment and looked up at the constellations above, wondering what the stars had predicted for him.

* * *

**Hmmm. I wonder what the stars have predicted for Draco...Anyway Chapter 16. Hope you like it. :) No chapter spoilers this time. Until next time Zozo. :) **


	18. Controlling Controversy

**Chapter 17**

* * *

(Blaise POV)

It was the morning after his date with Isobel and he was absolutely stoked. The seductive red head was all he had dreamt about last night. He had been attentive and she had been regally graceful almost as if she had been raised in high society. But she was also so down to earth. She didn't feel like the world revolved around her and was not fazed by any of the topics that they had discussed. He admitted that he had immediately been smitten and continued to fall for her charismatic demeanour every second he had spent with her. At the end of the date, he had asked if she still wanted to go through with the marriage contract and to his surprise, she agreed. He had voiced his concern that she was only doing it as a duty to her parents, but she had assured him that she had felt a real connection with him. He had vaulted to the moon. He was in such a great mood that morning, he decided to go and visit wizarding Italy in Milan. He had apparated to the streets of Milan early in the morning.

As he navigated the cobblestone roads and passageways, he came across Aroma Mocha, a little Italian coffee shop that was the secret entrance to the Diagon Alley of Milan. He walked in and up to the counter and asked for directions to the Cassoeula. The few muggles in there having their coffee quirked their eyebrows in confusion but went back to drinking their coffee. The lady behind the counter looked up, smiled and lead him out the back. They went down the staircase to the basement. She tapped three times on the wall and it began to vanish before his eyes, revealing the magic alley behind.

'La prossima volta usa l'entrata magica per favore. La password è pozione polyjuice (Next time use the magic entrance, please. The password is Polyjuice potion).' The lady pointed to the other staircase. A sign said to Milan above it. Oh, he hadn't realised there was another entrance, when he came here with his mother, he was much too small to remember.

'Sì, grazie. (Yes. Thank you).' He walked into the alley, marvelling at the picturesque sight before him. It was much like Diagon Alley, except there was a fountain in the centre and the bank was in a black building rather than a marbled white. All the shops were Italian of course. The wall closed up behind him as he began to walk around. There was a quidditch supplies shop, several bookstores, an animal emporium, various robes shops, an apothecary, a wand shop, the Italian Morning head office (Daily Prophet Equivalent) and various other shops. Making a note to stock up on some potions, he decided to head straight to the newspaper stand first to get a Daily Prophet. The kid manning the stall was shouting out.

'Extra. Extra. Read all about it. Malfoy Heir and Zabini Heiress. Are they an item?' Blaise stopped. What the hell did that kid say? He rushed up and picked up the newspaper. His eyes baulked when he saw the picture. Draco and Ellie were standing very close to each other and staring into each other's eyes before Ellie pecked him on the cheek. What the hell? Where did they get that photograph?

'Excuse me sir, that will be five knuts please.' The kid held out his hand and Blaise mindlessly gave him the money before going to sit down in front of a coffee shop. He could not believe it. What had happened last night?

**_MALFOY HEIR AND ZABINI HEIRESS: SUPPOSED COUPLE?_**

_Kevinus Morrisons_

_Last night, I was taking a stroll in Brighton on holiday and came across some surprising scenes. Eleanora Zabini and Draco Malfoy were also taking a stroll. The two highly reputable individuals were seen walking towards a port key stall from the high-class establishment, The Waterfront Faire. Were they on a date? The evidence seems to say so. The two were dressed for a night on the town and were seen standing very close together. At one stage, Miss Zabini even planted one right on Mr. Malfoy's cheek. It is a surprising turn of events as Miss Zabini recently revealed she is indeed war heroine, Hermione Granger. Sources say that these two have had a formidable past, especially with the fact that Mr. Malfoy has had dark associates whereas Miss Zabini has been alongside Mr. Harry Potter since the beginning. But is Mr. Malfoy only interested because she is suddenly pureblood? Well, apparently not. Another couple of sources have admitted the truth about what had gone down in the restaurant and readers, it's not pretty. Miss Zabini had been on a date with another guy. (Scandalous I know.) None other than Mr. Cormac McLaggen. Mr. McLaggen is well known amongst the ranks of the ministry for his legislation on sealing wax imports from the United States. So, it shouldn't have been a surprise that Miss Zabini took up with a wealthy man like himself. However, he was not friendly to her, after a rough day we can all assume and unfortunately, she did not take it well and caused a scene. Not very ladylike, I assure you. But then Mr. Malfoy stepped in. The men had argued over Miss Zabini and ended up in a fight. Mr. Malfoy had won and obviously captured her heart and the two left together. It was understood, Mr. McLaggen was heartbroken. It is a true Romeo and Juliet story come to life, folks. Let's just hope that the ending is more pleasant. _

'Well, shit.' He said out loud. 'This is not good.' His mood suddenly deflated, he rolled up the newspaper went to the potions shop to gather his stock and then apparated home to find his best mate, to find the true story.

* * *

'Mate, what the blazing hell happened last night?' He slammed the door open, Draco groaned and sat up.

'What are you doing up so bloody early?' His friend's voice croaked. Blaise chucked the newspaper at him and he suddenly got serious.

'Care to explain?' Blaise was fuming and he watched his friend read the article and nearly bolt outright from bed. 'What the bloody hell did you do?'

'I followed Ellie last night. I couldn't leave her with McLaggen. I knew his reputation. With the ladies. I mean. Also, with his temper. He is more strong-willed than Ellie, I swear. He would have overpowered her in brute strength and nearly bloody did. He was being a prick. Completely rude all night, no manners. He was saying that Ellie would not work and that she would basically become his baby making machine. So, I stepped in and tried to get him to back off, verbally. Then he said something about how obviously in love I am with her and I just lost it and beat him up. Ellie cast the full body bind curse on him and he fell to the ground and I suggested we get out of there, quick smart. But obviously some reporter found us outside.' He explained.

'And the kiss?' Blaise folded his arms across his chest.

'She was thanking me for being there. That's all it was Blaise.' He was telling the truth and he felt a lot better. But still it was going to be a shit storm when Astoria found out. Right on cue, an owl tapped at Draco's window. A howler was attached to its leg.

'Oh boy. Here we go.' Blaise said, letting the owl in and taking the letter. He handed it to Draco. He watched Draco's reluctance to open it, but Draco knew better and knowing the damage it would do if he didn't, he took a deep breath, swallowed and unwrapped it.

'DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY, YOU COME HOME AND EXPLAIN YOURSELF THIS INSTANT. I WILL NOT HAVE MY MAN GALLIVANTING ACROSS THE COUNTRYSIDE WITH SOME OTHER GIRL. ESPECIALLY NOT BLOODY MUDBLOODS. YOUR FATHER IS VERY UPSET WITH YOU AND YOUR MOTHER IS VERY DISAPPOINTED. I'M FURIOUS WITH YOU. TREAD LIGHTLY OR I WILL NOT HESITATE IN MAIMING YOU.'

By the time the howler ripped into shreds, Blaise was seething. That wench had no right to call his sister a mudblood. He turned away for a moment, trying to collect himself and when he turned back, now calm, Draco was cringing and snarling at the shredded paper in front of him. 'I suppose I have to go home.' His best mate said.

'I suppose you do.' Blaise replied and sighed. 'Look Draco, you did the right thing. Just explain to them that you were doing it on my request and that Ellie was just repaying you for helping her. That way you're not stretching the truth too much.'

Draco sighed and groaned, falling back on to the bed. 'All I'm asking is for a normal life. Is that so much to ask for?' Blaise felt for his friend. He had had a rough life. It wasn't easy when you had Lucius and Narcissa for parents. There was absolutely nothing normal about his life.

'No. I don't think it is. Hey, how about I get my sister to work on the contract whilst you're gone?' He asked. 'It will probably make you feel better.' Draco propped himself up.

'Thanks mate. It would mean the world to me.' Blaise got up to leave but Draco stopped him again.

'Tell Ellie…never mind.' He stopped.

'Tell Ellie what Draco?' Blaise pressed.

'Just tell her I'll be back.' Draco said. Blaise knew he lied but complied anyway.

'Alright, well when will we see you next?' Blaise asked.

'I don't know. I'll let you know. But here's hoping I make it through today.'

Blaise slapped his shoulder, gave him a short smile and picked up the newspaper. 'Good luck my friend.' He walked out the door towards his sister's room, wanting no, needing to see if she was alright.

He knocked on her door and heard a soft 'come in' from the other side.

'Oh, hey Blaise. How was your hot date?' She asked, wriggling her eyebrows at him. She was sitting at her desk.

'Good morning Ellie. Last night was great. Isobel is amazing. Just perfect and well…' He said with a smirk.

'And what? Tell me Blaise.' She replied.

'We've decided to go ahead with the marriage contract.' She jumped up and wrapped her arms around him.

'Wow. Really? She was that great? Tell me all the details.' She said, dragging him towards her bed and forcing him down. 'So, what was she like?'

He told her everything from her personality, to her looks, her hobbies, even some of stories she had shared with him. He told her how he had acted, what they had ordered, what the restaurant and staff were like. He left no detail unsaid.

'That's amazing Blaise. I'm so happy for you and Isobel.' She said and then sighed.

'So, your date didn't go so well.' He said.

'No. How did you know?' She asked.

'Call it twin tuition…and I saw this morning's paper.' He pulled out the newspaper and handed it to her. She gasped and he watched the look of absolute terror cross her face at the picture. Turning to the article, she read it and groaned when she got to the end.

'Where's Draco?' She asked, getting up to go and find him.

'Gone to do damage control. He said to tell you he'll be back to go over the contract, doesn't know when though.' She mouthed an oh and sat back down.

'So, tell me you don't believe all this crap.' She said.

'Well, I heard Draco's side and I believe him but I'm yet to hear yours.' He replied, expecting her to elaborate.

'Well, the date wasn't going well. First, we apparated from here to England.' He raised his eyebrows. 'I know, dangerous. Then he marched off without me, stopping about I don't know maybe seventy- five meters from the restaurant. He then proceeded to drag me towards the door, not even giving me the time to speak. Once we were inside, he took off towards the observation deck and sat down without offering to pull my chair out for me. He wasn't only rude to me; he was rude to the poor waiter who offered him a wine list and he only poured his own glass, not mine. Then he started talking about himself without giving me a chance to get a word in. When the waiter came back to take our order, he ordered for me without even checking to see if I would like the meal. When I called him out on it, he told me I should get used to it and I should also get used to the idea of not working. Instead I would just be a breeding machine, trophy wife. I lost it. There was just no way I could stand his arrogant, self-righteous arse anymore. So, I gave him a piece of my mind and tried to leave but he grabbed hold of me. Then Draco had stepped in. He tried to be civil about telling him off, but then he said something about Draco obviously being in love with me and his father having something to say about it and he went off into a violent rage. They started punching each other. He shouted that Cormac didn't know anything about him or his family and when the timing was right, I cast a full body bind on Cormac. Draco dropped him immediately and swiftly walked out of the restaurant. I told the restaurant staff to do what they wanted with Cormac and followed Draco. We sat on the ocean wall for a while before we walked to the port key lender. Draco apologised for his actions but I said there wasn't a need. Cormac deserved everything that he got. Then I kissed Draco on the cheek. I don't exactly know why, something inside me made me do it.'

_Ah. So, his sister did have some unrevealed feelings as well. Well this was going to be fun. _

'What happened next?' He asked, hitting himself for not asking Draco the same question earlier.

'Well, we ran into Mundungus Fletcher, he's a…'

'I know who he is, go on.' Blaise said, having run into the bloke many a time down at the Hog's Head on Hogsmeade visits. He had nearly pick pocketed his pocket watch and Blaise had had a close eye on him ever since.

'Well, he was running the port key stall. It's possible he could have been one of the sources who told the reporter some information as he assumed, we were on a date. But we denied everything. He gave us a kettle lid port key and we came to a field outside Florence. Then we apparated here.' She said, leaving out the details of the moonlight stroll.

'And nothing else happened?' Blaise asked.

'No. Well, we took a stroll through the rose garden but that was about it.' She said.

_A moonlit stroll through the rose garden. How romantic. _

Blaise took a note to tease Draco mercilessly about that later.

'Alright. Well I believe you and I'm glad Draco was there. Have you told mamma and papa yet that the contract will not be going ahead?' He asked.

'No. I haven't. Been stalling I suppose.' She shrugged.

'Well good. Once you tell them the 'bad' news, I can tell them the good.' He offered his hand and they went to find their parents.

'I'm glad you and Isobel had a great time. On the couple of occasions that I've met her, she was lovely. You deserve to be happy.' She squeezed his hand and he placed his other hand over their conjoined hands.

'Thanks, sorella. It means the world to me.' He squeezed her hand back.

They found their parents in their study, both looked up when the children walked in.

'Ah, bambini, do we have good news or bad news?' Roberto said, looking up at his two children, twirling his moustache.

'Well, good and bad.' Ellie said, stepping forward pulling her brother with her.

'Pray, do tell.' Valentina asked.

'Well, the contract between me and Cormac will just not work. I'm sorry. I did try but unfortunately the guy was just too much. I will never be happy with him.' She said.

_You could say that again, Elles._

'However, Isobel and I got on smashingly and we would like to continue with the marriage contract.' Blaise said, grinning from ear to ear. Their parents screamed in joy.

'Well done, my son. She is an excellent choice. I'm glad you got on with her.' Roberto turned to Ellie. 'Well Hugh is not going to be happy but he will respect your choice Eleanora. Never mind. We still have plenty of time to find you a match.'

Their mother went to hug Ellie and he dropped her hand, turning to his father who was grinning at him.

'Yes. Yes. I will have to contact Lionel and Sandra MacDougal right away so we can draft a contract. How about tea, Tuesday afternoon. We can meet this wonderful daughter of theirs?' He asked his wife and Blaise who nodded in agreement.

'We are so proud of you both.' Valentina said, before they were dismissed and carted out of the room by Finch the house elf.

'Well that went better than expected.' Ellie sighed once they were out of earshot. 'I can't believe you're betrothed.'

'Me either. But I'm not upset about it at all. Hey, are you hungry?' He grinned, thinking about his soon to be bride.

'Starving. Race you to the kitchens.' She said and ran off.

'Hey, no fair. You got a head start.' He replied and started after her.

'You snooze, you lose.' She shouted back. Oh, that sly minx thinks she could get away with that? Well she had another thing coming. He jumped the barricade and landed on the stairs in front her, frightening her and making her fall back onto her backside.

'Blaise. No fair.' She said. He chuckled and grinned, pulling her up.

'Sorry. Needed to make it fair game.' He winked and then began running down the stairs again.

'Hey. You're mean.' She shouted after him.

'Well, you're slow.' He replied.

'Oh no I'm not.'

They continued to race down the stairs and Ellie just overtook him at the end.

'Yes. I win. You're slow.' She poked in his face. He noticed a bowl of pancake mixture left unattended on the island. A mischievous idea came to mind. Picking up the bowl, he poured it over her head. She gasped in shock.

'Oh yeah. Well you're just dirty.' He replied, laughing out loud. She screwed her face up and wiped the pancake mix out of her eyes throwing some towards him.

'Sore loser.' She muttered. He shrugged and chuckled cheekily. 'Oh, do you want some do you?' She smirked and came towards him, chasing him around the island. She eventually caught up to him and placed her pancake hands all over his face.

'Thanks for that Ellie.' They were both still giggling about the situation when their personal elves, Sandy, Jackie, Savoy and Jinx entered the room. The elves gasped at them and tutted but went about cleaning the mess.

'Master and mistress should nots be playing with their food.' Jinx reprimanded.

'Sorry.' Blaise apologised. 'We've been told Ellie.' He whispered in her ear and they both giggled again.

* * *

(Ellie POV)

'Come on, mistress Ellie. Let's get you cleaned up. I'll run you a bath. Master Blaise can use the guest bathroom.' Sandy said, dragging Ellie away. She raised her eyebrows at the sudden change of attitude from the elves. Maybe she had been wrong about them in school. The elf dragged her all the way back to her bathroom. 'Now what salts would you like? We have lavender, rose, grapefruit, citrus, spearmint or tropical?' The house elf asked.

'Lavender will do just fine, thank you Sandy.' Ellie said and went to wash the pancake mixture off her hands, still mentally giggling about what had just happened. She washed her face off and then the elf turned to her.

'You should wait a few minutes. It may be a little hot.' The elf said and popped out. She stripped off her clothes and jumped into the shower, washing all the pancake mix out of her hair. Once done, she hopped in the bath, to relax a little. After the tense day yesterday, she needed to let of some steam. She lay there in the water for a good fifteen minutes before she decided it was probably best to get out to save herself from turning into a prune. Jumping out of the bath, she placed her bathrobe on and went to her wardrobe to find a new outfit, wondering how it was going with Draco.

* * *

(Draco POV)

When he had flooed home, he was met with three extremely unimpressed faces. He decided to try and attempt to lighten the mood.

'Hey, what's up?' He asked, a little too smug.

'What's up? Don't you what's up me son. What were you doing with Miss Granger? It's all over the papers so speak quickly and choose your words wisely.' His father warned.

'I was on Blaise's orders.' He lied, his felt his father try and gain access to his mind but he shut it off.

'Blaise's orders? What do you mean?' His mother asked.

'He asked me to look out for her. She was in trouble with that McLaggen guy so I stopped it and brought her home. That's it.' He lied again.

'And the peck on the cheek?' Tori finally spoke, walking forward and sniffling gently. She had been crying. Merlin, she hardly knew him and she was attaching herself to him like a leech.

'It was merely her way of saying thanks. No other meaning attached.' He said and Astoria jumped on him.

_Yep, what did I say? A leech._

'Oh, thank goodness. I thought you were going to leave me for Granger and I was so angry and upset with you.' She said. 'But you'd never leave me, right Draco?' He internally rolled his eyes and nearly gagged. But gave a small smirk to her.

'Cissy take Astoria out for tea. You've been working so hard, you deserve it.' Lucius said and gave a small peck on her lips before the two women obediently left the room.

'Now son. Tell me the truth.' Lucius said, coldly.

'I told you the truth. I swear.' Draco assured, backing around his father. He wasn't as afraid as he had been in the past but was weary of his father.

'SPARE ME THE LIES.' He yelled and launched himself at his son, gripping him around his throat. His trademark torture technique. 'What were you doing with Granger?'

'I…already…told…you…the…truth.' Draco said. His father glared into his eyes, trying to search him for any sign of mistruth but he refused to give in. He needed to protect the truth from his father. Once he couldn't find anything, he dropped him.

'Fine. Live with your lies. But I will find out eventually and when I do you will know the consequences.' He turned to walk out of the room.

'You don't scare me father.' He shouted at him and Lucius was upon him again with a mighty kick to the ribs. He felt something crack and he nearly screamed out in pain.

'You will watch your words, my son or it will only be a matter of time until you will feel pain like none other.' His father then left the room. Draco let out the gut-wrenching cry he had been holding in and called for Minky. She appeared within seconds and rushed to his side. He was struggling to breathe. Is lung was definitely punctured.

'Master Draco, what is wrong? Where does it hurt?' He pointed to his ribs. 'Minky will fix yous.' She snapped her fingers and the pain subsided. His chest felt less constricted and he fell to the floor in a heap. A moment later, he felt himself being levitated again to his room. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he fell asleep.

'Minky will takes good care of yous, Master Draco, but for now sleep.' She disappeared with a crack.

Hours later, he opened his eyes and suddenly remembered what happened. He touched his ribs and cringed at the pain. Minky may have fixed the broken ribs, but her magic didn't extend as far as healing the bruising. A pain potion appeared on his bedside table and he thanked Merlin that he still had one ally in this house. Drinking the potion, he suddenly felt much better. Replacing the cork in the bottle, a plate of food appeared in its place. Minky sure knew how to take care of him. He picked up the plate of sausages, eggs, toast, roast tomato and bacon, he silently ate, thankful for a good meal. Once satisfied, he decided to get up and write a letter to Blaise to let him know what had happened and when he'd be returning. No way he was staying here any longer. He may not be as afraid of his father, but there was no way he was hanging around that limpet. Walking over to the writing desk, he pulled out some parchment and a quill and began writing.

_Blaise,  
It has happened once again. However, Minky took care of everything. I'm right as rain. Crisis averted, mostly. Father does not believe me though. But I honestly do not care. Be home after sundown.  
D.M _

He called for Aquila and she eagerly came flying to his window. Attaching the letter to her leg, he told her to take the letter to Blaise and she hooted in response, flying towards Italy.

'So, son. Leaving again so soon.' His mother, Narcissa glided in the door, making him jump.

'Yes. They're expecting me back.' He replied but didn't move.

'Your duties are here son. Why do you run away? Astoria is a good girl from a good family. The least you can do is make an effort to at least try and be happy.' She replied.

_Hah. Good girl. Good family. My arse. _

'Mother. She'll never make me happy. I don't love her. I don't even like her. She irritates me to no end. She just…'

'She just isn't Granger.' She said, he recoiled. How did she know? 'I've known for a long time. Since before the war. All you ever spoke about was how infuriating she was. How she beat you in everything. How she paraded around like Little Miss Perfect. Son, as your mother I think it is offensive that you didn't think I would know. It is painstakingly obvious you have feelings for the girl.' She was smirking at his gobsmacked face, thoroughly amused by his confusion. 'And honestly I would approve if the circumstances were different.'

What? Did his mother just say she approved of his feelings towards Ellie?

'But. Um. Why are you telling me this now?' He asked, still in disbelief.

'I'm telling you this, because I believe you know now.' She said. 'Don't worry, your father only suspects, he doesn't know. I've wanted to leave him for a long time but you know I can't.'

He sank down into the writing desk chair, his hands covering his eyes and he began to cry.

'I just don't know what to do. Father will kill me if he finds out. He'll kill her. Merlin. I can't let him kill her. Mother. Please. Promise me you won't tell him or Astoria. She is the only thing that matters.' He said. His mother suddenly teared up. Never in her life had she thought that her son would learn to love, but here he was pouring out his heart to her and she couldn't be prouder.

'I won't. I promise my son. But tell me, when did you realise?' The older woman asked, coming over and stroking his head.

'Four days ago. I know. It's crazy but I feel like I've loved her my whole life without even knowing.' He replied.

'You've found your true love my son. Promise me you'll fight hard to not let her go.' She said.

'I will and I already am. Ellie is working on breaking the marriage contract. If anyone can break it, its her.' He answered.

'Oh. So, she feels the same way about you?' His mother asked. He scoffed at the idea.

'I doubt it. But even if I can't have her love, I'd still want to be her friend.' He confessed.

'You are a strong, strong man, Draco. I'm so proud of you.' His mother pulled him up into a tight hug and his tears kept falling.

'Thanks mum. I love you.' The tears were falling freely now.

'I love you too, Draco.' She whispered into his hair. Letting him go, she smiled at him. 'Go. Do what you have to do. Make me proud.' She whispered and he walked out the door and hurried down the stairs to the drawing room floo. He was gone with a whisker of dust.

* * *

He made a stop by the apothecary in Diagon Alley to get some more potions for his collection, as well as the stationery supplies store to pick up some more parchment. Before heading back towards The Leaky Cauldron. He was stopped in his haste.

'Draco. I haven't seen you in ages. What brings you to the alley today?'

He inwardly groaned, knowing exactly who it was but knew he couldn't avoid them forever.

'Rita. Have you seen any good bannisters lately?' He turned giving his trademark smirk. She tutted in response.

'Touchy. Touchy. Just thought you might want to give an exclusive. You know with the whole saga from last night.' She said, her quikspell quill at the ready.

'Oo…I would love to but you see I don't have the time. You know how it is. Places to be. People to see.' He said sarcastically and made a way to back down out of the street.

'People like Miss Zabini?' She quirked her eyebrow. Drat. That was not the right thing to say.

'I'm sorry. Miss Zabini?' He asked feigning innocence.

'Who you were with last night?' She asked.

'Oh right. Miss Zabini. Oh Merlin no. Why would I be seeing her? I was on my way to a meeting. With a ministry worker. Business. Highly confidential.' He said. 'I really must dash.' He turned and all but ran from her.

'Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Malfoy. I wasn't done. Oh drat.' He heard behind him and he chuckled. He may have stirred up some more trouble but he honestly didn't care what they wrote about him anymore. His public image was already ruined. He only truly cared what his friends thought about him. What Ellie thought about him. He sighed in frustration and entered the pub. What did she even think of him? He knew she didn't hate him anymore, but was there anything there greater than friendship?

'Malfoy.' He turned to see Weaselbee sitting by the door with what appeared to be rum.

'Weaselbee.' He made his way towards the floo desperate to get back to Italy. But he sensed Weasley's presence following him. He sighed in frustration. Obviously, the guy wanted something so he turned around.

'Please stop interrupting me, while I'm ignoring you.' He poked at the guy. When Weasley didn't respond he continued. 'What do you want Weaselbee? I haven't got all day. Just spit it out.'

'I read the newspaper this morning.' He replied.

'Did you just? I didn't think you could read. As I recall, Ellie did all your essays for you during school.' He couldn't help himself, the guy infuriated him.

'Now look here Malfoy, I'm trying to be civil with you but you're making it bloody well hard. I just wanted to ask you what it was all about.' He considered the ginger haired man in front of him. What the hell was it with him lately? All he seemed to think about was his redemption. He had mocked the man's family since the beginning. First, he wanted to apologise to Potter, now he was having the same urge with Weasley.

'Well. Are you going to tell me or not?' He asked.

'How about the latter.' Draco replied. He didn't have to explain himself to Weasel. In fact, he would rather not explain himself to him. It was already awkward enough between them without him knowing the truth.

'Fine. Be that way. I'll find out from Ellie anyway.' The man sulked and went back to the bar to get another drink no doubt. Draco shook his head but went over to the floos nevertheless. Letting the thought of reporters and Weasleys leave his mind, he was gone a moment after.

* * *

He had ended up in the library floo. Strange. He hadn't thought about coming through that one. He went to go back to his temporary quarters when he heard a soft voice coming from a lounge somewhere in towards the back. Going to investigate, the sound of the voice got louder and louder as he approached. Then he saw her. She was sprawled out on the floor with pieces of parchment lying around her. Her hair had become frizzy like it had used to be and her face contorted up in concentration. She was holding his marriage contract and writing notes on a piece of parchment next to her. Despite her being a dishevelled mess, he thought she looked so adorable. Smirking, he leant up against a bookcase and observed her. A couple of minutes later, he cleared his throat and she jumped, looking up to see who had interrupted her. She blushed in embarrassment.

'Draco. How long have you been there?'

'Long enough. How long have you been here?' He asked her question back to her. She hadn't looked like she had eaten for at least half the day.

'Well. I've been here since after breakfast I suppose.' She replied, sticking her head back down into the contract. He looked up at the clock to see it was already nearing seven. Meaning she probably hadn't eaten since this morning. Frowning he sauntered over to her and pulled the contract from her grasp.

'My guess is you haven't eaten anything since this morning which means it's time to take a break.' He smirked down at her.

'But…' She replied.

'No buts. You can't very well work on an empty stomach.' He pulled her up into a standing position and nearly pulled her in towards his chest. Her breath hitched in her throat at the closeness and they stared into each other's eyes. Merlin. They were so beautiful. His eyes flicked down to her lips, unconsciously. But he saw hers do the same. She licked her lips and he began to lean in towards her. Was he really going to have his first kiss with the girl he loved? Did this mean she felt the same about him? He was surprised she wasn't backing away. It gave him hope that maybe there was more there than he thought. Slowly, he went in a little further and all of a sudden, she turned her head away at the last second. Her face flushed in embarrassment. His head screamed in protest but he reluctantly backed away none the less. As a consequence, so many questions fluttered through his mind. Did she not like him? Was she not ready? Was it bad timing? His first instinct was to apologise.

'Sorry. Let's go get something to eat, shall we?' He asked. Her eyes looked lost. All he wanted to do was kiss her and convince her she belonged next to him. But considering she had turned away merely a moment ago, he wasn't sure it was a great idea. She nodded her head in response, her eyes still lost and clouded over from the event that just nearly happened. He gently tagged her along, towards the kitchens where the pancake fiasco of the morning had been cleared. He tried not to be so disappointed. He had expected her to turn away. But it was hard not to be disappointed when she was the first person he'd ever truly loved. But he supposed it was just as well. If he had kissed her and she hadn't felt the same way, he would have caused a lot of tension in the household. But there was a niggling feeling in his gut saying not to give up hope. She hadn't initially backed away, meaning there was an attraction of some sort. He perpetually felt giddy at the thought. He wasn't going to give up just yet. She would love him eventually. He'd make sure of it.

First step: be nothing but an absolute gentleman to her. In the dining room, he pulled her seat out for her whilst her parents looked on in astonishment. He saw Blaise give him a wink and Daphne and Theo give smug smirks. But he wasn't fazed. His friends would've known for longer than him. If it were to work out, he would need them on his side.

Second step: he would spend as much time as he could with her, letting her get to know him. The real him. Whilst he would learn all there was to know about her.

Third step: He would somehow sweep her off her feet. Alright, so his plan wasn't completely full proof yet. But he'd make it up as he went along. Love did not work on a schedule. He knew it from all the soppy romance novels he had read. Not for enjoyment. More just from boredom and looking for something to laugh at. But he'd make sure it would work, for Eleanora Zabini was beginning to become his everything.

* * *

**This chapter jumps around a little bit, hope it's not too confusing. But anyway, some exciting things are coming up in the next chapter. Until next time. Zozo :) **


	19. Unveiled Understandings

**Chapter 18**

* * *

(Theo POV)

Draco and Ellie had walked into dinner like a proper couple and he had to admit he was kind of not surprised. Draco had been in love with the girl for years, not that he had known though. But now that he did know, Draco would get what he wanted which obviously was her. When Draco was determined enough, he would always get what he wanted. He was impressed by Granger's/Ellie's sudden attitude turn around as well. In such a short time, she had put aside their differences in order to get along. Well sort of. But he was hoping that before long she would begin to open up to him. Draco was a good match for her in every way. They all could see it. If only he wasn't in that darn contract to Astoria Greengrass. Daphne's sister had never warmed to him, always seeing what she believed was the 'worst' in him. Apparently, she had acted the same way towards Daphne, believing that she was the better sister. Astoria had also been a spoiled brat. Her parents doting on her every want and caving into the pressure when she would throw a tantrum. In the process, they neglected to acknowledge their other daughter always leaving her to her own devices. Astoria was god awful. He felt so bad for Draco. He would be stuck with that girl forever.

_Unless… _

But, seeing those two walk in like that made him think that there was hope that things were looking up for them. That was what the whole last bit of the prophecy was about. Wasn't it? That the twins would have their hearts open to love. Now Blaise was with Isobel and once they got rid of the contract, Ellie would be courted by Draco. It all just made sense. He looked at his girl sitting beside him. She had a similar knowing expression on her face. Her eyes glazed with the signs of the prophecy again. He was worried. The cloudiness was getting thicker everyday now and he knew it wasn't long before she would break.

'So, Theo. Daphne. I heard about your estate being sold. That must be exciting. What ever will you do now?' Valentina asked from across the table.

'Well. We will pay of my father's debts and deposit the remainder of the funds into the bank. Perhaps we'll buy a little cottage by the sea once we're done with school. Daphne has always loved the beach.' He smiled at his girlfriend and squeezed her hand under the table, making her jump a little in surprise.

'That is a rather ambitious undertaking, son.' Roberto perked up. 'We wish you all the best. But you are most welcome to stay here until you get your affairs in order.'

'Thanks sir. We appreciate it.'

'Draco. How's your mother?' Valentina asked and the table conversation began to flow ever so politely. But Theo was not concerned about that. Turning to his girlfriend, he saw that she was getting paler by the second. Now he was truly worried. It was about to happen. She abruptly stood, scaring the lives out of everyone at the table and she was gasping for air, gripping the table so tightly her fingers turned white.

'Daphne? Daphne? Oh no. It's happening. Everybody clear some room. She's about to prophesise.' Theo shouted. He pried her hands from the table and directed her to a clear space. Ellie cast a spell to move the table and chairs to the side of the room. All remaining five people gathered around awaiting the prophecy. Daphne's eyes were completely clouded now and energy was bursting from her body, buzzing around the room. She was still gasping for air. Raising her head, a raspy voice began to speak.

_'It was once foretold that a lion and snake would be bonded by blood; their power is strong enough in adversity. In new visions, I see two others who should join the fight. They fight for love. They fight for justice. Together, they stand as four roses from different walks of life. Power…, Strength…, Bravery…, Intelligence…From strength to strength, these four will go, but all roses must learn there are thorns to be trimmed. From strength to strength…all roses must learn…there are thorns to be trimmed…'_

Daphne blacked out, collapsing to a heap on the floor. At this rate, Theo thought she would be out for weeks. He rushed to her side and made sure she wasn't injured. He levitated her to their quarters without glancing at the other's behind them. Valentina had joined him and was rushing up the stairs with him. She smiled gently at him and he knew she would be in good hands here. Once they got to her room, he levitated her down on to her bed. Valentina called for some elves.

'Call a medi-witch immediately. Tell them Mrs. Zabini said it was urgent.'

'Yes miss. Right away miss. Anything you say miss.' The elves popped away and Valentina turned to him.

'How is she doing? The poor dear must be exhausted. How long had she been holding it in?' She asked.

'She seems stable at the moment. Her breathing and pulse are fine. She's been holding that in for weeks.' He said sheepishly.

'FOR WEEKS? Oh goodness gracious. She will be out for just as long.' She replied and called the elves back. 'Tell the medi-witch to bring some liquid magic and food please.'

'Yes miss. Right away miss. Anything you say miss.'

'Don't worry Theo. Daphne will be in good hands.' She offered him reassurance. He knew that she would be ok; he was just so upset that he hadn't done anything sooner.

'Thanks Mrs. Zabini. It means the world to me. Perhaps I should call the superior one, to make sure.' He said.

'The superior one? I did not know you two were in the covenant of seers.' She replied.

'Yes. It only happened a few months ago.' He replied. 'Would it be alright with you? I'll need to be alone because she can't be seen by others. So, once the medi-witch has done her thing, I would call her into this room.' He explained.

'That would be no problem. Where is this medi-witch?' She asked, as a little plump woman in a medical coat, apparated in and rushed to the bed.

'Ok. Someone tell me what happened?' She said.

'Daphne has been holding in a prophecy for weeks and it just burst out of her.' Theo explained.

'For weeks? How long are we saying?'

'Possibly as long as a month.'

'Son, you should know better than to let a seer hold in their prophecies.' She chastised and sighed in frustration. 'Who is the patient?' She asked.

'Daphne Greengrass.' He replied. She magicked a list of people and checked off the name.

'Alright. Patient name: Daphne Greengrass, Age: 19, Status: Pureblood, Cause of Illness: Repressed prophecy. Treatment: Liquid magic stabilisers, Liquid food, monitoring every six hours.' The witch ratted off and set up the liquid magic and food stands and attached them to Daphne. 'Could I get a next of kin please?' She asked.

'Ah. That would be me.' Theo said.

'Name? Relationship to her?' The witch demanded.

'Theodore Nott. Significant other.' She nodded in response, writing his name down and went about checking everything else.

'Why did you need a next of kin?' He asked.

'Well. You never know. Because she is in a magic induced coma, I need the next of kin to be able to consent to certain tests and such.' She said, fiddling around with vital tests. A few minutes later, the woman was done. 'It seems I've done all I can do for her at the moment. Please keep an eye on her and report if there is any change. Thanks for your co-operation people. Someone will be by in six hours to check on her. Perhaps you should consider transferring her to St Mungos. It will be a lot easier.' She vanished a moment later.

'Well. That was one of the rudest doctors I have ever come by.' Valentina said. She turned to him. 'I'll leave you be if you want to call the superior one.' The woman glided out the door and downstairs, no doubt to tell the others of her status.

'Oh Daph. Why did you do this? You've caused so much damage to yourself.' He rubbed his hand down the side of her face. 'I love you my dear. Don't you dare leave me now.' He sighed and rubbed his head. He grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze but got no response. He sighed again. He had better call the superior one now.

'Sacrifitious Incantatem.' He pointed his wand to the sky which emitted a purple haze over the room. The superior one landed in the room, not a moment longer.

'My dear son, Theo. What is the matter? Is it to do with the prophecy?' Her eyes landed on Daphne. 'Oh no, what happened to Daphne?' She asked.

'A repressed prophecy.' He replied. 'Superior one. Is there anything we can do?'

'I'm afraid not, dear child. Nothing we can do that hasn't already been done. This will be a learning curve. She will become wiser. A better leader for it.'

'But superior one…'

'I know child. But we mustn't look back on our past actions. They do not serve us well. We must look forward and only forward. The prophecy must be fulfilled.' She replied, walking over to him and pulling his head up to look him directly in the eye. 'My son. You said there was another prophecy. What was it about?' She asked.

'It added to mine. There are two others who will join the twins in the prophecy. They fight for love and justice. They stand as four roses. However, all roses know there are thorns to be trimmed.' He summarised.

'My dear child, could you extract the memory so I can see it properly. We shall see who these two are.' The superior one demanded.

'I think I already know…'

'Well speak Theo. Leave nothing unsaid.'

He told her who he believed the two others were and she nodded in contemplation. Finding his words true, she finally conceded and agreed that they were the most likely candidates. Holding the tip of his wand at his forehead, he extracted the memory and placed it in a vial, which the superior one produced. She pocketed the memory.

'Thank you, Theo. You've been most brave. I shall let the others know of this change.' She smiled at him. Reaching out for his chin, she lifted it so they were staring at each other again. 'Daphne will be ok, Theo. I have faith that she'll recover. She is an incredibly strong witch. You must have faith, my son. I believe you and her both are destined for great things. Things far beyond my power. Stay safe and remember your duty to the prophecies.' She materialised.

'Well. That went well.' He groaned and turned to look at his girl, lying absolutely still, in a coma. It was all his fault. He should have made her do it sooner. Now she was in a self-induced coma with no certainty of when she would awake again.

He kept reassuring himself that she would be alright and, in the meantime, he must take over the responsibility to assist in the fulfillment of the prophecy. But how he was supposed to do that without the love of his life beside him, he wasn't sure. Tears pricked his eyes and he wanted to curl up and sleep. But he couldn't. He wouldn't sleep. He was guilty. He felt a hot tear run down his face and he began to sob.

_No, Theo don't break down yet._

No. But he couldn't help it and so the hot tears streamed down his face. He had to let the others know what was happening though. Trying but failing to pull himself together, he walked sloppily down the stairs towards the dining room. He had a duty to take care of.

* * *

(Ellie POV)

Eventful was one way to describe her life right now. First, she found out she is a Zabini, then she had to go on a date with the vile Cormac McLaggen. Not only that, she is also part of some prophecy which just got a second part merely a moment ago. She had also agreed to break Draco sodding Malfoy's marriage contract. Don't get her started on the way she was feeling about Malfoy. It was too confusing. She didn't know what to think. Her thoughts went back to the near kiss in the library and her body awakened with fire.

Merlin, he had smelt so good. A combination of alluring scents had tantalised her nose; spearmint toothpaste wrapped in an earthy rosewood with a hint of musk. She had nearly died and gone to heaven. It was so dreamy. She didn't want to smell another cologne in her life unless it was that one. Then he had looked straight down into her eyes. His silver orbs filled hers with a sense of lust and attraction. But when she had looked closer there had been something else there. It was a look so familiar she had seen it cross her muggle father's eyes when he looked at his wife. It frightened her more than anything but also sent a thrill of excitement down her spine. His touch and warm closeness had sent a sense of comfort but also a great need to be in his embrace throughout her. She was just so darn attracted to this man but it felt illegal. Something that she shouldn't do. There were so many reasons as to why she wanted to lean into that kiss but there were also so many reasons why she shouldn't. Her mind had flicked to Blaise, the marriage contract, his father, his mother, her parents, Ron, Harry.

So, she turned her head at the last second and tried not to feel the sharp pang of disappointment that rang within her. She couldn't do it. There was just so much on the table right now. She didn't need anymore complications. Once this was all over, she would go back to living a simple life without any drama. She would establish her career, find love and then get married and have kids in her own time. She was only eighteen for Pete's sake. She had plenty of time to figure it all out. But until then, she had a prophecy or rather prophecies to worry about.

_Actually, what had Daphne just prophesised? _

'Accio parchment and quill.' She said with a flick of her wand. A moment later, said items came rushing in towards her. She began scribbling on the parchment on the dining table. Blaise came and sat beside her.

'Ok what did she say? Can you remember Blaise? There was something about the lion and snake being strong enough in adversity but two others would join the fight.'

'They fight for love. They fight for justice.' Blaise added.

'Alright. Then they stand as four roses from different walks of life. What is it with roses?' She mumbled and scribbled on the paper.

All the while, the head of the Zabini household began to retreat to his study.

'I'll just leave you kids to it.' He mumbled and left the room, but it went unnoticed by the trio.

'Power, Strength, Bravery, Intelligence.' Draco offered, walking over and joining them. Her breath hitched again and she looked up at him. His eyes made her melt. He gave a small smile and gestured for her to continue. Blaise noticed and smirked.

'Oh yes. From strength to strength these four will go but all roses must learn there are thorns to be trimmed.' She finished. Both twins and Draco puzzled over the newest addition to the prophecy. Who could the two others be? It had to be someone they both knew, meaning there wasn't much leeway in terms of who the people could be. Ellie thought back to that near kiss from before again. Could one of them really be Draco? He was from a different walk of life, true, but would he fight for love or justice? Wasn't he already doing that by asking her to break his marriage contract? It made sense. She looked at the four words, power, strength, bravery and intelligence. Which one would correspond to him? She supposed any of them could apply.

Looking further down the parchment she then read 'all roses must learn there are thorns to be trimmed'. Another reference to a struggle. What were they supposed to be fighting? Voldemort was dead so that couldn't be it, besides that had been Harry's battle. Death eaters were on the loose though. Could that mean that they would defeat them? Or was there something more to it all? And if Draco was the third person, who was the fourth? Harry? Ron? Ginny? Perhaps even Isobel? She had no idea. She was at a dead end. All she knew was that they had to fight something and they would have help. The whole situation was so perplexing. But the thought of having help also reassured her that she wasn't alone.

'Blaise.' She said.

'Ellie.' He replied.

'You do understand what it means right?' She looked up at him.

'Sure, I do. Uh, no not really.' He admitted and both Ellie and Draco chuckled.

'It means that we're going into war again.' Draco said.

_War? Well, I suppose it could be a war. But we don't really know for sure yet. _

'What, how did you get th…oh. I get it now.' Blaise stumbled. 'So, what you're saying is that you, me and two other people are going to go to war?'

'Well, not necessarily but there would be a struggle of some kind. I just assume it would be about a war. Prophecies usually do relate to the dramatic events.' Draco ratted off.

'But who are the other two?' Blaise asked.

'I have a theory.' They all turned to see Theo standing in the doorway.

'Theo! How is Daphne? Is she going to be ok?' Blaise asked.

'Yes. She'll be ok. She has been put on liquid magic and food but it may take weeks for her to recover. She was completely drained.' He choked back a sob and bit his fist. Ellie was taken aback. The poor bloke had been crying. She had rarely seen a Slytherin cry before. He was so shaken up and her heart went out to him. Before she knew what she was doing, she walked up to him and gave him a hug. He tensed at the contact but relaxed a moment later, sinking into her embrace, trying to hold back his sobs. The two other guys looked on with widened eyes of surprise. She rubbed soothing circles on his back, in an attempt to comfort him. Once he settled a bit, she pulled back giving him a weak smile which he gratefully returned.

'She will be ok, Theo.' She said. No one said anything, they all looked on at her in surprise. She flushed under the gazes of the three men in the room. 'What? I was only trying to help.' She explained.

'Thank you, Ellie.' Theo replied with a smile. Blaise shook his head in amazement but then turned back to his friend.

'So, you had a theory?' He prompted.

'Ah. Yeah. Well I believe that one of them is Draco and the other is Isobel. But I can't be certain so don't take my word for it. Only half the prophecy was mine.' He replied.

'Me? Don't be daft Theo. I can't fight for anything.' Draco said, lamely, blushing in recognition of the context of the prophecy, meaning that he'd be fighting for love and justice. Ellie looked at the man. If that was the case, then why was he fighting for his freedom? No one pushed it, although she could see that everyone in the room begged to differ.

'Well, if they do turn out to be involved in the prophecy, then what are we even fighting?' Ellie uttered out loud, gaining the attention of the others again.

'Pureblood supremacy.' Another voice walked into the room, scaring the wits end out of everyone. She looked at the person who had just entered the room in shock. She hadn't heard the floo go off.

'Potter, have you ever learnt to knock before you enter a room?' Draco drawled. 'You scared the living daylights out of us.'

'Yes, I have actually.' He tapped on the door. 'Better?' He asked, sarcastically.

'Much. Thanks.' Draco replied.

'Can you two lovebirds stop flirting?' Blaise said, making Theo and Ellie giggle. Draco shot him a glare and Harry looked unphased.

'I am not in love with Harry freaking Potter. How many times do I have to tell you that?' Draco pouted.

'Yeah. Who would love an albino ferret anyway?' Harry said and walked over to Ellie's side.

'I am not a fer…' He was interrupted by Ellie's hand on his shoulder. Feeling him tense and then relax, she looked up into his eyes and shook her head. He left his argument be and went back to being nonchalant.

'Anyway, Potter. You were saying?' Theo coughed.

'Ah right. I was saying that you guys would have to fight pureblood supremacy.' He replied.

'Not this again, Potter. We told you before, it's a ridiculous notion.' Draco said.

'But this time I have proof.' Harry replied.

'But Harry…wait, did you say proof?' Ellie asked and all the others looked at Harry in shock.

'I think it would be best if you all sit down.' Harry said, leading them to the table.

* * *

(Harry POV)

He had gone to work this morning in the hopes that someone on the night shifts had been able to at least get a lead into the whereabouts of the escaped death eaters. So far, they hadn't had anything since the dodgy dealings of Lucius Malfoy had been brought to their attention. They had placed a tracking spell on his accounts but any dodgy dealings had since been stopped. The man was as cunning as a fox. He could've easily detected the spell and was now probably withdrawing the money to pay the dealers in cash. To confirm his theory, when they had searched the manor to bring him in for questioning, he was nowhere to be found. Apparently, nobody had seen him in days, although he could tell Narcissa had been lying. He just hoped that he could track the man down and set the record straight.

Upon arriving at the auror office, Dawlish approached him with news.

'Mr. Potter, sir. You may want to follow me. We have a lead.' He nodded and quickly followed the auror into a conference room where Minister Kingsley, the Head Auror, Robards, and a few other select aurors including Ron were waiting.

'What is this all about?' He asked and sat down with his morning coffee.

'Well, Harry we received this letter from a Mrs. Pemberty Hawkins of 22 Mulberry Lane in Worthing. She had been in the dark alley beside her house last night when a dark figure had been leaning over a rubbish bin. Assuming it was a homeless person she went to investigate, however, as she got closer, she discovered the person was wearing a death eater hood. She hid in the shadows and the person turned around revealing himself as Antonin Dolohov. He heard her shuffling and disapparated before she could do anything.' Robards said.

Dolohov in the dark, rummaging in a garbage bin. What on earth could he be looking for? Whatever it was, it didn't sound good.

'Well has anyone brought Mrs. Hawkins in for questioning?' He asked.

'Yes. She is sitting in the interrogation room right now with Jackson.' Dawlish said.

'Well? Should we send a team down to Worthing to search the area?' He asked.

'Already on it, Mr. Potter.' Kingsley said. 'The search squad is already scouring the entire town to find any traces of Dolohov.'

'Alright. So that is it?' He asked.

'Yes. We were just keeping you up to date. You may go watch in on Jackson's interrogations if you want.' Dawlish said. Harry nodded and left the room. He was going to go and watch the interrogation and possibly interrupt if Jackson was as incompetent as he believed. Ron wasn't too far behind him.

'Hey buddy. What's up? You seem a bit put out.' Ron asked.

'What? Oh sorry, yeah. I was wondering if Dolohov took anything with him from the rubbish bin. It just seems weird that he would be rummaging through them if he weren't looking for something.'

'Oh. So are we going to interrupt Jackson's interrogation?' Ron asked. Merlin. After how many years of friendship, did he really need to ask that.

'Yes, Ron. I am.' He said and kept walking to the interrogation room. He barged through the door, frightening the other two on the other side. 'Sorry to barge in, but I have a few questions for Mrs. Hawkins if you don't mind.' Jackson nodded and got up and left them. Ron had apparently disappeared then.

'Mrs. Hawkins. How are you?' He smiled at her and sat down in front of her. She replied a well thanks before he continued.

'Where were these bins that you saw Dolohov rummaging through?' He asked, hoping to get to the bottom of this.

'In the alleyway behind my apartment block. I was taking out the garbage at the time.' The lady in about her 50s replied.

'So, who do these bins belong to?' He continued.

'Well, one is me and my husbands. The others are for the 3 other flats in the apartment block.'

'Was your husband home at the time?'

'No. He was at work in town. He's a muggle you see and he runs a fish and chip shop.' She answered. He nodded; he wasn't really getting anywhere here.

'And your neighbours. Are they muggle as well?' He asked.

'One couple is, the other two are married muggle and magical couples.' She answered truthfully.

'Did you or any of your neighbours put anything in your bins that would be magical, illegal or valuable in any way?' He asked.

'Not that I'm aware of.'

'Did you see Dolohov take anything with him when he disapparated?' He asked. She sat and contemplated the question. 'Mrs. Hawkins?'

'As a matter of fact, I did. It was something wrapped in foil.' She replied.

'Can you tell me anything else about that?' He was getting eager now, he wanted to know what the guy took.

'It was shaped like a mirror I believe. It came from my neighbour's bin. Gretchen Urquart. Her husband is also muggle. You can find her at the antique store in Worthing.' She said.

'Well. Is there anything else you would like to add?' He asked. She shook her head.

'That is all I know, Mr. Potter.' She replied.

'Well, thank you very much for your time. Do not hesitate to contact us if you find out more information.' He shook her hand and led her out of the room and down the hallway. He ducked off into his office along the way and cast a patronus.

'Go to the antique store and bring in a Mrs. Gretchen Urquart for questioning please, search for any signs or records of magical objects.' He sent the patronus off to the squad down in Worthing. He sighed. What the heck would Dolohov want with a mirror shaped object in the garbage? He would get to the bottom of this. A few moments later, he got a response.

'Mr. Potter, Mrs. Gretchen Urquart and her husband have been murdered. Death by killing curse. We will search around and find out if anyone saw anything. No record of anything magical in the store either.' A voice that sounded like Williamson replied.

Fuck. He wouldn't know what the mirror was then. Taking out the wizard records, he cast a spell to reveal her name and file. He found that Gretchen was a muggleborn witch, who had married an accountant and had mostly left the wizarding world. She had worked in the antique store. But had no other magical contacts than the people in her building. Well. That was a bust. He sat and rubbed his temples unsure of what else to do.

About an hour later, the squad returned. Williamson knocked on his door.

'Harry. We looked around and we found nothing. No signs of Dolohov anywhere or anyone with information. Although, it appears Mrs. Urquart had pulled her wand out in defence. Dolohov was definitely the one behind it. What did Mrs. Hawkins say?' He asked.

'Dolohov took a mirror shaped; foil covered object out of Mrs. Urquart's bin. We're unsure of what it is or what he needed it for. So, no record of any mirrors in the woman's store?'

'Unfortunately, no. However, one of the other couples did say she did throw out a broken looking glass yesterday. Some mysterious hooded guy had traded it for an antique book of runes. She didn't think it was worth anything, so she threw it out. Platts and I interrogated them, but that's all they knew though.' Williamson said. Harry sighed. So, the mirror had some sort of magical origins then, if Dolohov knew about it and wanted it for himself. Perhaps, he could get Ellie to look into it. Although, she was pretty busy at the moment. He shrugged. He might go see her later anyway.

'Thanks, Williamson. Let me know if you find out more.' The man nodded and left, leaving Harry to his thoughts. What to do now? He swung around in his office chair and then decided to go to help restore Hogwarts. He had been meaning to make his way down there anyway.

* * *

Upon arriving, Headmistress McGonagall greeted him. He looked around in awe. The structure was nearly done and looked exactly the same as it had before. McGonagall had smiled in response and sent him to help Madam Pince by putting books on shelves in the library. Obeying orders, he found the lady in amongst racks of herbology books. She sent him to a miscellaneous section and he began sorting the books. Roughly about two hours later, he came across an old, wearing book.

_Compendium of Mysterious Forgotten Objects of the Wizarding World. _

Taking the book to a nearby desk, he opened it and began searching the pages for a mirror.

'Mirror of Erised, no…Gwydion's Misguide? What is that?' He mumbled to himself.

_Gwydion's Misguide _

_This ancient mirror was rumoured to be owned by the Welsh wizard Gwydion, of whom was known as a war hero and trickster during olden times. The mirror itself is made of solid platinum and wrapped in aluminium foiling. Its magical properties are unknown, however have been linked to dark magic over time. It had passed from a Welsh family to the Irish Gaunt family as a gift in the 16th century. It has been lost since then and the last known person to know of its whereabouts was the pureblood witch, Rionanch Sayre (nee Gaunt) who died in 1608. _

'That's what that mirror is!' He yelled up in excitement. Ellie would be proud of him. He did research all on his own. He finished up at the library and took the book back with him to the auror office. He would return it later.

* * *

He called another meeting with all the other aurors involved and explained to them what he had found. Placing the book in front of them, they all read in horror. Once done, they looked around, now concerned for the wizarding world's welfare.

'So you are saying that Gwydion's Misguide is now in the hands of Antonin Dolohov?' Jackson asked.

'Yes. That is exactly what I'm saying. We have no idea what it does or why he seemed so keen on having it.' He said. 'Everyone will need to do some more research.'

Suddenly, Savage burst into the room.

'Sorry to barge in but the death eaters have made contact.' He said, gasping for air as if he had been running.

'What do you mean Savage?' Dawlish asked.

'Come. Come. Quick.' He ran out of the room and the others followed in haste down to the atrium.

A film was being displayed on the walls around the atrium. A death eater, with hood and mask, was projected.

'Mudbloods and Blood Traitors, hear my warning. The wizarding world will soon be cleansed from your filth. We will rise victorious. A better nation where magic is reserved for purebloods only. Running will be futile. We will find you. We will not stop until Purebloods reign supreme.'

The death eater film repeated itself and chaos rung about the atrium. Minister Shacklebolt cast an amplifying charm on his voice.

'Good people. Please do not panic. The auror department is doing all it can to help capture all the death eaters. However, I do urge you to stay safe. Place protection charms on your loved ones and residences and ensure you are prepared. If you fear that you are not safe please come back to the ministry, where we will find you a safe house. Please do not fear, the ministry will keep you safe.' He said. 'Please go about your jobs in an orderly fashion.' He cancelled the charm and walked over to him and Dawlish.

'Kingsley. What should we do?' Dawlish asked.

'Increase the security on the building. Ensure all the wizards and witches who work here, especially the muggleborns are accounted for and safe.' Kingsley ordered. 'Then we'll raise the alarm to the wizarding community. Allow them to get their affairs in order.'

'Yes sir.' He said and started directing other aurors to do their jobs.

'Harry. We need to retrieve Ellie and place her in your safe house. She is a prime target. Muggleborn turned pure. Go now. No time to waste. Call the Order to the safe house when you return.' The minister ordered and Harry didn't dare disobey. Amongst the chaos, he ran to the floos, Ron tagging behind him.

'Harry. Where are you going?' He asked.

'To retrieve Ellie, Ron. Go and make sure Lavender and your family are safe.' He shouted back at him.

'What? No way, I'm going with you, I'm just as much her friend as you are.' The redhead argued. Harry sighed in frustration; his best mate had no idea when to let things lie.

'Ron. Just do as I say. There's no time for this silly argument. Ellie needs to be safe. I'll call an Order meeting when I return.' He countered. Ron screwed up his face but finally succumbed to the pressure.

'Alright Harry. Let me know when she is safe.' Ron ran off in the other direction. No doubt to find his father before they returned home.

Reaching the floos, Harry jumped into the flames, the fire engulfing his being as he disappeared to the Zabini Manor in Italy.

* * *

He seemed to have landed in their brewery floo as the stench of alcohol drifted up his nose. He chuckled; he would need a stiff drink later to get through all this. He checked the floo network to observe who was blocked and who was not, shocked to see that only one name was on the list. Astoria Greengrass.

_Probably Malfoy running away from his problems._

He sighed in frustration and then cast a blocking spell to prevent any potential death eaters or people who could cause harm to the family from flooing in. He marked the spell with the auror authenticity symbol (makes sure that the spell can't be broken unless an auror does so themselves) and made a beeline outside. Walking out into the gardens surrounding the manor, he stopped to observe the boundaries of the estate, ensuring that they were all secure. He was shocked that the Zabini family had such lax security. Placing as many wards as he could over the entirety of the estate, he stood back and admired his work.

_There. No one can get in or out unless they're family or friends of the order. _

Satisfied he went back towards the manor, desperate to ensure the welfare of his best friend. She wasn't going to go with him easily. He knew that now. She was just starting to piece together her life and it was about to fall into the depth of war again. It was so unfair on her. It was unfair on them all. He just hoped her logic would overrule her stubbornness. He was greeted by a house elf who introduced himself as Savoy. He was wearing a green waistcoat and tie. He smiled. So that was how Ellie was tolerating her life here. The elves were free. He introduced himself to the elf as Harry Potter, here to see Ellie. The elf bowed and asked for him to follow him. He was taken into the grand foyer and down the hall to a dining room. He could hear voices on the other side of the door. The elf pointed, bowed and disappeared with a pop.

He tried to gauge just who was in the room. The sounds of three men were heard conversing in the room. He assumed they were Blaise, Nott and Malfoy. He creaked the door open just a little bit to hear what they were saying.

'Well, if they do turn out to be involved in the prophecy, then what are we even fighting?' Ellie asked. He could answer that one. It was what they were all going to be fighting.

'Pureblood supremacy.' He said, bursting through the door to see four shocked faces.

* * *

**So 22 Mulberry Lane in Worthing is an actual place it seems. I didn't even realise when I wrote it. A lot happened this chapter. Hope you followed it and enjoyed it. Until next time, Zozo. :) **


	20. Malice and Misguide

**Chapter 19**

* * *

**(Draco POV)**

They were all sitting around the table. Blaise on one side of Ellie, Draco on the other and Potter and Theo across from them. Potter had just rudely burst into the room and claimed to have solved the mystery of the prophecies.

'Well. What is this proof then Potter? We haven't got all night.' Draco drawled, unamused by the whole situation.

'The death eaters have made contact. They're out to eradicate all muggleborns and so-called blood traitors from the wizarding world. They are out to ensure magic is strictly for purebloods. A muggleborn was already found murdered this morning. Oh, that's another thing. They've got Gwydion's misguide in their hands as well.' Potter explained.

Gwydion's misguide? Where had he heard that before?

'But Harry, what is this Gwydion's misguide?' Ellie asked.

'I'm glad you asked.' He pulled out an ancient book, flipped it to a page and handed it over to her. Draco watched her read it, getting even more serious by the second.

'It's a dark artefact. But what does it do?' She asked, handing the book to him to examine.

'That's what we don't know. But if Dolohov went to the trouble of rummaging through bins to find it, there must be some use.' Potter replied. Draco read over the extract, still wondering where he had heard of it before. Had Voldemort mentioned it in a meeting once? Had his parents mentioned it? Why did he feel like it had something to do with the day he got really drunk at The Three Broomsticks? He wasn't sure but the name was so familiar. 'Malfoy. You look like you know something we don't.' Potter said, a hint of query in his eyes.

'I've heard the name before is all. Not sure where though. Maybe that day I got drunk. I can't be sure.' He replied honestly. He turned to his best friend and his sister, who were both staring at him in expectance. 'I don't know anything, why are you looking at me like that?' He frowned. He folded his arms across his chest and pouted.

'Draco.' He quirked his eyebrow at the honey coated voice who had spoken his name. 'Does your library have any books on dark magical artefacts?' She asked. How could he say no to this vision of absolute (and terrifyingly frizzy haired) beauty?

'Well, yes. I'm sure it does.' He replied. The library at home was full of the darkest compendiums known to man. If Gwydion's misguide were to be found, he was nearly one hundred percent sure he could find it there. Looking at her face, he definitely could see where she was going with this though and he wouldn't stand for it. 'Oh no. You can't go there Ellie. Father would murder you. He would murder me. It would put everything in danger. He doesn't know what we are up to.' We. Like a team. He couldn't help but like that idea. He shook his head; there was no way he would jeopardise everything he was fighting for by letting her look around his library.

'I wasn't insinuating as such. I'd rather not step foot in that manor again to be honest.' Her arm reached down to touch the scar she received from his aunt. He silently relived her nightmarish screams and shuddered. He had hated every blazing thing that wretched woman had done to his precious woman. Yes, his woman. He would do anything for her. If he could turn back time, he would do everything in his power to prevent that from happening to her. Maybe it could have been different if he had deserted his father's wishes from the start. But the past was the past and he couldn't do anything about that now, unless he had a time turner but they were extremely difficult to come by and changing the past was dangerous. 'You could take Blaise or Theo with you instead. We need to figure out exactly what this object does if we have any chance of stopping them.'

'I'll come with you mate.' Blaise offered.

'What about you Theo?' Draco turned to his other friend.

'Well considering I might run into Astoria, I'd rather not.' Theo said. 'I want to keep an eye on Daphne anyway.'

'Fair enough. We'll head out first thing in the morning.' Blaise decided.

'What about the library here? Would it have any reference to it?' Potter asked.

'No. All the books of dark magic were cast away a long time ago.' Blaise replied. 'I'm pretty sure. But I suppose if we can't find anything tomorrow, we can check here. There could be some in the underground tunnels but they were sealed a long time ago. Far too dangerous to open now.' He said. Underground tunnels? How come Blaise had never mentioned them to him before?

'Underground tunnels? You mean there are secret entrances into this manor? Does anyone else know about them?' Potter asked with concern.

'Not as far as I am aware. I'm not even sure our parents even know.' Blaise looked to his sister.

'Would you show me them?' He asked.

'I suppose I could but we must be careful to not be seen. Not even the elves know about it.' The Italian boy said as he stood and gestured for all of them to follow. They walked down the hallway to the statue of Henrietta Zabini, Blaise and Ellie's great-great-great grandmother. Judging by the statue, the woman hadn't been the most attractive of people. He believed from what he had read in history books she had married into the family and began demanding to have everything she had ever wanted. She had hated children from what Blaise had told him but had conceded to fulfil the pureblood marriage contract for the continuation of lineage. As shallow as it sounded, he was glad that it seemed none of her genes were passed on to Blaise or Ellie. Blaise looked around to find the hallway deserted apart from them. Shifting the statue to the side, he gestured for them to go in first. Potter cast a lumos and dove straight into the hole, followed by Theo. Blaise indicated for Draco to follow before Ellie and then himself. He cast a lumos and walked down the stairs into the passageway. He noticed how structurally sound the walls were and how various holes were sealed up on one side of the cavern. He suddenly sensed a presence sidle up beside him and he turned to see Ellie looking up at him.

'There's a lot of history in these walls.' She whispered.

'I'm sure there is.' He replied.

'Do you remember Professor Binns history lesson on the Italian Wars?' She asked.

'Vaguely. But enlighten me.' He said.

'Well. The 1400-1500s Italian Wars began as an invasion of the French King Charles VIII in Naples but an alliance between Maximilion I and the pope drove him out. Louis XII then tried to take Naples, Genoa and Milan but was driven out by Ferdinand V. Pope Julius II organised an attack on Venice and Milan to drive Louis out. Francis I then won Milan whilst Spain retained Naples. Francis and Charles V began fighting in 1521 and Francis was captured and forced to sign a treaty, removing all his rights to Italy. But once freed, he made new alliances with Henry VIII and Pope Clement VII. Charles however sacked Rome and forced the pope out and thus forced everyone to sign the Treaty of Cambrai and the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis finally ended the wars in 1559. These catacombs were used as safety bunkers during that time. But all of them except this one were obliterated and sealed after the war to prevent people from injuring themselves.' She explained.

'Ellie. Can you please save the history lessons for later? I'm trying to identify if there is any dark magic present behind these walls.' Potter said with annoyance which made Draco's insides stir a little bit but he bit his tongue and continued to look around.

'So, where do these tunnels end?' He asked Blaise.

'The brewery cellars.' Blaise explained.

'Why didn't you show this to us before Blaise?' Theo asked.

'There really wasn't a need to. I wanted it to be my special hiding place where no one could find me.' He replied.

'But you showed Ellie?' Theo quirked an eyebrow.

'She's my twin. Of course, I showed her. She and I have no secrets.' He said.

_Blaise and Ellie had no secrets hey. I wonder if she'll tell him what happened just before we came down to dinner. _

Theo seemed to accept that answer as he went to help Potter investigate the catacombs. Minutes passed and they soon became bored. Draco, Blaise and Theo sat down against the wall whilst Potter and Ellie were still casting detection spells.

'How long is this going to take Potter?' Draco complained.

'As long as I need it to be.' Potter said in return. 'If you don't want to be here, I suggest you go. There's really no need for you to stay.'

He turned to rebut but Blaise just shook his head.

'Found anything yet Harry?' Blaise asked.

'No, not a thing. Do you mind helping? The spell is tenebris naeniam (dark incantation in latin). All you have to do, is point your wand at the wall and if the glow turns purple then it is positive, no change, negative.'

'Sure, no problem.' All three of them went to help and within half an hour, they were done.

'Nothing here, sorry Harry.' Ellie said.

'That's alright. Had to check anyway.' He replied as they all ascended the stairs back towards Henrietta's statue. Blaise pushed it out of the way and checked to see if the coast was clear before the rest of them followed. They returned to their seats in the dining room, unsure of what to do now. Draco watched Potter as he was cowering in his chair. Apparently, Potter wasn't done with everything yet. He decided to give the man a nudge.

'Was there something else you needed, Potter?' He drawled and Potter looked up and glared at him before turning to Ellie again with a force of bravery.

'You need to come with me to Grimmauld Place, Ellie.' He replied.

'What? Why?' She asked, shock apparent on her face.

'You're a prime target Ellie. Everyone knows who you were back then and who you are now. That makes you a blood traitor in their eyes. Besides you were the whole brains behind our operation and they're out for vengeance. Although I have put protective charms over the property, I still cannot guarantee your safety unless you're in the safe house. By the way, you need better security systems in place here.' He said.

'I'll take it up with the head house elf.' Blaise uttered but both her brother and Draco were looking at her, wondering what she would do. She took in his words; a look of contemplation expressed over her face.

'But Harry. I can look after myself.' She argued.

'I'm not saying I don't know that. Gods, I don't know how many times you've gotten us out of situations. I wouldn't ask this of you normally but it was on Kingsley's orders that I take you to the safe house. I'm sorry Ellie. I know it would be giving up your freedom but…' She put her hand up to stop him from speaking.

'Kingsley put you up to this?' She asked. He nodded in response. 'Well, I suppose I have no choice then.' She stood but Blaise grabbed her arm.

'But sorella…' Blaise cried.

'But Ellie…' Draco uttered under his breath but it didn't go unnoticed by Potter, who just looked at him in a challenging manner. He tossed a glare back at him and drew his attention back to the twins.

'I have no choice, Blaise. I need to return to England. The minister of magic demands it. Besides, how useful can I be when I'm in the wrong country?' She asked.

'But our life here…' Blaise continued.

'Will be here when I return. Whenever that may be.' She said and turned to exit the room. 'Blaise. It won't be forever. I promise you. It is only until school goes back in just over a month or so.' She kissed his cheek and looked back over her shoulder at Potter.

'Harry, I'll just go pack and say goodbye to mum and dad. I'll be back soon.' She said sadly and left the room. Potter coughed and stood up, walking around the table to stand in front of Blaise.

'I'm sorry about this mate. I'll make sure the floos are open for you. I have sealed them to everyone else now, apart from the order members. That would mean you now too, Malfoy. You've taken an oath to our cause. Nott, well. I guess I'll keep them open to you and Daphne as well. Speaking of, where is Daphne?' He asked.

'In a self-induced coma.' Theo said coldly.

'What happened?' Potter asked.

'She repressed a prophecy for too long and it drained her magic and energy reserves when she broke. She could be out for weeks.' He explained to him.

'Oh wow. Is that what you were talking about when I walked in?'

'Yes, Potter. That was what we were talking about when you decided to grace us with your almighty presence.' Draco bit, looking past him towards the door. He needed to speak with Ellie.

'Merlin Malfoy. What the bloody hell has your wand in a twist? I was only asking a question.' Potter exclaimed.

'Yeah well…If you'll excuse me.' He wasn't in the mood to fight with Potty. He needed to speak to his girl before she disappeared from his life again. He needed to make sure, she would still work on breaking the contract whilst she was gone. He couldn't lose any time. Who knew how long this would take? Their future he had pictured together was at stake. He heard the boys muttering behind him.

'What the hell?' Harry exclaimed in confusion.

'Harry. Sit down. We need to tell you something about Draco.' Blaise said.

'You see. Draco's in love with Ellie.' Theo said.

'He WHAT?' Potter yelled and tried to run after Draco, no doubt wanting to throttle him but he didn't care. His sole mission to find Ellie. He would deal with Potter later.

'Sit down, Potter. We'll explain.' Blaise's voice was the last thing he heard as he ascended the stairs. He walked towards the northern wing of the house, thinking that would be where he would find her. The portraits whispered between themselves as he walked towards her room. He took a deep breath and knocked on her door, barely registering the gasps of her relatives in the portraits behind him.

'Come in.' She yelled. Opening the door, he saw her room for the first time. It was a beautiful grape purple colour with dark wooden furnishings. There was a baseboard that rose halfway up the walls and she had charmed the walls with swirling, glittery patterns. The roof was made up of painted tin, decorative panels, in a creamy white colour. The whole room was elegant and beautiful. 'Oh Draco. What are you doing here?' She emerged from her closet with a pile of neatly folded clothes in her hands. She placed them on the bed and looked up at him expectantly.

'Well. I was wondering if you were going to take the contract with you?' He asked. She just laughed.

'Of course, I will. Well, I'll have to work on figuring out what Gwydion's misguide is but I will need something else to keep my head working whilst I'm under house arrest.' She said. 'I wouldn't let you down by leaving it here.' She replied and went back into her closet. 'Was that all you wanted?'

_No._

'Ah. Pretty much.' He replied. 'Um, do you mind if I keep you company? Potter might throttle me if I go downstairs right now.'

'Why would he do that?' She came out again with another handful of clothes.

_Darn it. He couldn't tell her the truth now, could he?_ _Lie, Draco, Lie_.

'I wasn't particularly nice to him. Sorry. I'm really trying Ellie. Old habits die hard.' He lied. It seemed that she bought it.

'I know you are, Draco.' She replied. 'It's ok. I don't expect you to change a habit overnight. Please make yourself comfortable.' She smiled at him and went back to her closet again. He went and sat on her bed. It was one of the most comfortable mattresses he had ever sat on. He wondered what it would be like sleeping next to her every night and waking up next to her each morning. But he stopped himself before he could go any further by thinking about Daphne's prophecy. Could he truly be a part of the prophecy? Maybe he should ask Ellie's opinion on the matter. He took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

'Uh Ellie?'

'Yes Draco?'

'Do you really believe Theo's theory? That I'm a part of the prophecy?' He asked, curious to know her answer. She took a second to reply.

'Well, I believe you could be a likely candidate. Why do you ask?' She returned and quirked an eyebrow at him. She took out her wand again and levitated various items into her trunk which sat open at the foot of her bed.

'Well it's just…I don't know. Does it make sense?' He replied.

'Draco. You're taking your own life into your hands. You've asked me to help break your marriage contract. You're obviously sick of being mistreated. You're fighting for justice. You're fighting for your own right to love whoever you want.' She blushed at this statement but continued. 'Don't you think that makes you a possible candidate?' She sat down on the bed next to him and he blushed hard at the thoughts that rushed wildly through his head. But he pushed them away.

'I suppose you are right.' He muttered and sighed.

'Hey, even if you're not who the prophecy is talking about, you can look at it from the perspective that you get a chance to redeem yourself to the wizarding world. You can't argue with that right?' She replied. She was right. The wizarding world still had some reserved hatred for his family. If he were to help, even if the prophecy wasn't related to him, he definitely could earn himself some credit.

'You're right, Ellie. God knows I will need the brownie points when Astoria tries to drag my name through the mud.' He stated.

'Don't worry Draco. You have the Zabini family backing you and Theo and Daphne. Merlin. Even Harry would testify for you.' She uttered. 'You've got my back and I've got yours ok?' She placed a hand on his shoulder, the warmth of her hand sending a jolt of electricity down his arm. She jumped back as if she had felt it sting too. They stared at each other and after a while, she blushed and turned away. She was feeling something too. He was sure of it now. But how did he go about this?

She got up and walked away around her room, collecting little bits and pieces until she was done. Flicking the trunk lid down, she shrunk it, placed it in her pocket and picked up her bag. All the while, he sat there like a stunned mullet, so much so that he barely registered her final words.

'Anyway, Draco. I have to go and find my parents and wish them a goodbye.' She rushed out of the room, leaving him sit there speechless. She felt something too! He couldn't believe it. But what exactly did she feel? How strong was it? Whatever it was, it gave him hope. He made himself a goal. By the end of the year, she would be his and he would be hers. He got up and left the room behind, walking down the stairs towards whatever Potter was going to throw at him.

* * *

**(Harry POV)**

He sauntered into the room, looking very pleased with himself. He couldn't believe it. Malfoy, Slytherin Prince or what not, had been in love with Ellie for years. No wonder he had been so awful to her. The smug grin on the man's face irked him a little though. What the hell had Malfoy done to her? Harry glared at the man as he came walking over and sat down. He was going to give him a piece of his mind.

'Malfoy. What the bloody hell are you playing at?' He raised his voice.

'Potter. You're going to have to be a bit more specific.' Draco smirked.

_Hah. Playing coy will not do you any favours Malfoy._

'You know exactly what I mean, Malfoy.' He replied.

'No, I don't actually. I'm lacking some details, so if you wouldn't mind explaining what you meant that would be great.' He was looking smugger than ever now. The man was enjoying torturing him. He sighed in frustration.

'I'm talking about you being in love with Ellie.' Harry finally said. 'Do you honestly think she'll love you back after the way you treated her all these years? And here I thought you were smart.'

'Hah, what do you know about love Potter? Apparently not much. Where is Weaselette anyway?' He looked around to make his point.

'You leave Ginny out of this Malfoy. This is between you and me.' Harry pointed his finger at Malfoy.

'Oooo, touched a nerve, did I?'

Ah…that man was the most infuriating person alive. Surely Ellie couldn't fall for him and his arrogance. She was smarter than that. He had some attractive qualities on the outside but on the inside his soul was teamed in ugliness.

'Sod off Malfoy. Ellie wouldn't fall for a guy like you anyway. She deserves better than that. She is better than that.' He yelled.

'What the fuck does that mean Potter? I'm not my father. I have taken your oath. I was forced to do things against my will. Do you have any idea how much torture I went through to see her tortured by the hands of a blood relative? Do you have any idea how horrible I feel for not doing anything? I didn't have a fucking choice Potter. We both would have died otherwise. How do you know how she feels? How do you know she wouldn't fall for a 'guy like me'? You can't tell her who she can and can't love. You can't tell me who I can and can't love. You don't know me at all Potter. So shut the hell up and stop messing in other people's business where it's not warranted.' Draco shouted at him. Harry had his hand on his wand, ready to duel him. There was no way he was going to get Ellie. If he thought that, he was delusional.

'Leave Ellie alone Malfoy. She doesn't need you hanging about her and causing her more pain.' He yelled back. Draco drew his wand.

'Stupefy.' Draco shouted and pointed his wand at Harry.

'Protego.' Harry defended. 'I bet you feel better now Malfoy. I bet your father would be proud.'

'I'm not my fucking father Potter. Alarte Ascendare!'

'Protego. Oh yeah? Then why the hell are we duelling?' He replied.

'Because you don't know how to keep your mouth shut. Everte statum.'

'Protego. Stupefy.' Draco dodged the spell and was about to fire one back when another person entered the duel.

'Expelliarmus.' Draco's wand went flying in the air and was caught by none other than Ellie herself. Nott and Blaise were standing behind her. 'What the hell are you two doing? Harry you should know better than this now. What is this all about?' She said and walked over to Malfoy and handed his wand back. Neither boy said anything and so she turned to Draco. 'I thought you were going to be civilised Draco. Come on boys. What is this all about?'

Neither of them said anything again. He was looking at Malfoy, who just glared at him and shook his head. He had to lie then. Ellie obviously didn't know.

'Um…Malfoy said something awful about Ginny and I guess we just started fighting over that.' He lied. She narrowed her eyes at them both but seemed to accept this excuse.

'Ok, I know you like to be noble and protect your girlfriend's honour but there is no reason to start duelling in the dining room. Draco, I'm disappointed in you.' Harry watched Draco's eyes protest at what she had just said. Nott and Blaise were snickering.

'Oh, come on Ellie. I'm trying. The guy is so infuriating. You want me to apologize? Alright. I'm sorry Potter.' He turned to him.

'Apologize like you mean it Draco.' She reprimanded. He sighed in reservation.

'I'm sorry, Potter for saying mean things.' He said, blushing.

'And?' Ellie prompted.

'It won't happen again.' Draco said.

'It's ok, Malfoy. Just don't let it happen again.' He replied, giving him a look that said, 'stay away from her'. He received one back from Malfoy saying, 'in your dreams Potter'.

The two other boys were still snickering at the hilarity of the situation. Draco sent them a glare over Ellie's head and they stopped.

'Good. Now Harry. Are you ready to go?' He noticed her extendable beaded bag in her hand and her trunk must have been shrunk and in her pocket.

'I'm ready when you are.' He replied. She turned to her brother and gave him a hug.

'Ciao sorella.' He said.

'Ciao Blaise.' She replied. 'I'll miss you.' She left his embrace and talked to Nott. 'Take care of Daphne. Let me know how she is going won't you.'

'Of course.' He replied and she gave him another hug. Then she turned to Malfoy and walked up to him. She whispered something in his ear and he nodded, she gave him a small smile before re-joining Harry. What the hell did she say to him? Why was she so secretive about that? He would drag it out of her later. Hopefully.

'We're all good to go Harry.' She said. They walked through the dining room to the ballroom floo where they disappeared, completely unaware of the mocking sound of the whip that two boys made in the room they had just left. Nor were they aware of the punches they had received in return.

* * *

**(ELSEWHERE a couple of hours later)**

'I have found the perfect place for our quarters.' A deep voice whispered into the darkness.

'Well, go ahead and tell me. Where is this place?' Another deep voice replied.

'It is Nott Manor.'

'Are you insane? Do you not know the blood traitor boy and his girlfriend live there?'

'But you forget. Nott Senior had an enormous debt which he placed upon his son upon his death. They have been living off nothing for months. They are nothing but skin and bones.'

'I do not care about their welfare. Get to the point. What has this got to do with the manor?'

'I made a trip into Diagon Alley the other day and I saw the boy and the girl walk out of Talisman Estates, so I went to investigate. Apparently, the boy is selling the manor to pay off their debt. They were looking to buy a seaside cottage from the profits. But if we were to buy the manor off them under a fake alias…'

'But do you really want to help those two, after all they've put us through?'

The other man laughed callously. 'I am not thinking of the two blood traitors, they can rot in hell for all I care. Especially after the pain that girl put me through. I am merely thinking of our plan. The Nott Manor could serve us well.'

'Of course. Sorry to insult your intentions. Indeed. I believe you are right; Nott Manor would be perfect. Didn't Nott Senior have a castle in Suffolk as well? Any word on it? Is the boy selling that too?'

'There is no word on the castle's fate, my friend. It appears the boy may not even be aware of it's existence.'

'But how would he not know? Surely it is under his payments list as well.'

'I do not know. The real estate agent told me nothing of it.'

'Well look into it. We may be able to utilise them both.'

'Indeed, I shall.'

Some shuffling at the end of the dark alleyway caused the two men to quieten and slink into the shadows. A dog appeared at the end of the alley, turned to look but then ran across the road. Sighing in relief, they went on.

'And what about your boy? Will he follow through on his betrothal?'

'I'm afraid he may become a bit of a complication. He has been spending an unusual amount of time with the Zabini family. He hasn't even come home to see his mother lately. I'm unsure of where his loyalties lie anymore. How is your daughter?'

'She is beside herself. Your son has been her dream ever since she was a little girl. But he is paying no mind to her. Granted she isn't the smartest of witches but she does come from a wealthy background. Is that not enough for your son?'

'I'm afraid, riches do not please my son as such. He has always valued knowledge over wealth. I had hoped he would snap out of that and realise his duty to his family, to the wizarding world, but he associates himself with a family and a particular girl, I now know as nothing but filth.'

'You don't mean…?'

'I'm afraid I do. The boy always had an ungodly fascination with that girl. He does not know that I've always known as such. But how could I not? He complained about her existence so much it was nearing obsession. Now that she is not who she once appeared to be; he may see this as an opportunity to get closer.'

'But the betrothal? He can not get out of that can he? It is legally binding. He wouldn't dare betray you.'

'Yes, that may be true. But, I fear that they are the smartest people of their time and they may be able to find a loophole.'

'But what if we let our children out of the contract.'

The other man baulked.

'Hah and what? Have him breed little blood traitor children with the blood traitor, Granger? How dare you suggest something so ghastly and filthy. Mark my words. Draco will marry Astoria. If it's the last thing I do.'

The other man chuckled coldly. 'How cliché Lucius. I meant if we let them be together, we could manipulate both Granger and your son to our advantage.'

'And sacrifice your daughter's own happiness for the sake of wizard kind? That sounds so unlike you Norm.' Lucius laughed maliciously.

'Since when do I care for Tori's happiness? My duty to wizard kind takes pretence over that.' Norm threw a glare at Lucius, who was contemplating the idea. He came to a decision a moment later.

'No. Absolutely not. I do not wish to be associated with that girl in anyway. We will have to lure my son away from her though. She is a danger to our entire plan.'

'Couldn't we just kill her?'

'Naturally, I would say go ahead but unfortunately no. I've struck a deal with Roberto. He believes his money is going towards a charity but in fact his funds will help our cause immensely.' He said. Both men laughed maliciously.

'Roberto was always such a fool. But your son, not as much. How do we get Draco away from his daughter?' Norm asked. 'Put him under house arrest?'

'Exactly.' He paused and changed the subject. 'How is Dolohov going on finding the misguide?'

'He found a lead but was having difficulty dragging the person down. She'd apparently gone muggle. I'm unsure if he got it or not.' Norm said. Both men made a noise of disgust.

'Well, if he hasn't, tell him to hurry up. He does not need to be reminded of the importance of our time. It will take us months to be able to utilise it.' He whisper-shouted. 'If he doesn't find it soon, he will suffer the consequences.' Lucius said.

'Yes, Lucius. I shall do as you please.' Norm replied.

A sudden voice from the end of the street made both men jump.

'Down here Dawlish. I think I heard voices.'

'Jackson. Shut up! You'll scare them away.' Dawlish replied, in a whispered tone.

'Sorry.' The incompetent auror replied.

Both men looked at each other in panic.

'Aurors. Quick, we mustn't be seen.' Lucius said and disapparated. Norm disapparated a second later.

'Damn, they disapparated. Jackson, I'm cutting your pay.' Dawlish said when they reached the end of the alleyway to find no one.

'But Dawlish, sir.' Jackson exclaimed.

'No buts. It's your fault we lost them; you know the rules.' Dawlish said brashly.

'Yes sir.' Jackson complied.

'Back to the office, our wizard safety check rounds are done. We'll need to let Mr. Potter know what's going on.'

'But sir. He's in Italy extracting Miss Zabini.' Jackson exclaimed. Dawlish then took pity on the unintelligent boy. It wasn't his fault that he acted like a child sometimes. Jackson had been hit by a spell during the war and now his brain had severe damages. For the most part, he was his normal self but some days, particularly when he was under pressure, he would revert to being mentally incapable.

'I do not need reminding, Jackson. But he'll be back very soon. And you can have your pay back.' Dawlish replied, it wasn't fair to take away his pay because of his disability.

'Oh yay!' He said and disapparated back to the office. Dawlish sighed in resignation. That boy could've made something of himself. But those blasted death eaters had ruined his chances. He hoped they would find them soon, so they could get what they deserved. The dementor's kiss. With that thought, Dawlish disapparated back to the office, leaving the dark alleyway deserted once more.

* * *

**Here ends Chapter 19. I've been a little slack with the uploads but my workload has been a little bit hectic especially with all the bushfires that are happening in Australia at the moment. Do not fear, I am safe. But will unfortunately won't be uploading for a while now. I won't give up on the story. Anyway, hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Until next time Zozo. :) **


	21. Apprehension and Alias

**Chapter 20**

* * *

(Ellie POV)

It had now been a couple of weeks since she had left and Ellie sat at the dining table in number 12 Grimmauld Place. They were no closer to figuring out what Gwydion's misguide was used for, there had been no breakthroughs on the contract and now Ellie was getting frustrated. Blaise and Draco had visited the day after she left and had brought the terrible news that they hadn't been able to find anything in any of the books in Draco's library. As disappointed as she was, she had invited them to stay for the Order of the Phoenix meeting, an invitation they couldn't say no to, so, they complied. She recalled the meeting. It hadn't gone so well.

* * *

_She checked the names off the list as each person came through the door and sat down; Harry, Ginny, Ron, Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Fred (Again not dead here), George, Neville, Luna, Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout and Slughorn, Hagrid, Minister Shacklebolt, Blaise, Draco…two new names appeared as they walked in the door; Hannah Abbott and Seamus Finnegan. Smiling at them all and checking her own name off the list, she sat down next to Blaise up near the head of the table. _

_'What the hell is Draco sodding Malfoy doing here?' Seamus called out, rising from his seat and pointing a finger at him. _

_'Seamus, sit down, Draco has taken the oath to the order.' Harry said and Seamus sat down. 'Right. Let's get down to it. I've called you here today because there is a new danger. The escaped death eaters. Now the auror department is doing their best in capturing these escapees, however there has been no such luck. I'm sure you have heard what their motives are, to create a pureblood wizarding world. Kingsley could you give us a rundown of what we have so far please?' _

_'So far, there has been a death toll of one muggle and one muggleborn, one sighting in Worthing where Dolohov was seen obtaining Gwydion's Misguide; a potential weapon against us. Another possible sighting last night near Wiltshire. Wizard welfare checks have all been completed and safety precautions have been taken across ten countries; England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Poland. We have reached out to all other countries…'_

_'I'm sorry to interrupt Minister sir…but did you just say Gwydion's Misguide?' Hagrid asked. _

_'Yes, I did Hagrid. Do you know anything about it?' Kingsley replied. _

_'Ah no. But some bloke came a asking for it in the Hogs Head the other day when me and Professor Slughorn here were having a drink. I just thought he was a peddler man. He didn't look like a death eater.' Hagrid said. _

_'Could you please tell us anymore about the man, Hagrid?' Ellie asked with some murmured agreement from around her. _

_'Well, he was blond. A bit like Mr. Malfoy here actually.'_

_'I knew it. He's a bloody spy.' Ron shouted and stood up. _

_'Ronald, sit down. You're causing a scene.' Mrs. Weasley said, pulling her son down into his seat. _

_'I should not have said that.' Hagrid mumbled in the background. 'I should not have said that.'_

_'No. Come on, why is everyone ignoring the fact that Malfoy is in the god damn room? He's a death eater. He let the death eaters into Hogwarts, he was ordered to kill Dumbledore. Why the bloody hell should we trust him? While we are at it, why is Zabini here too? He's a Slytherin._

_'Ronald. THAT'S ENOUGH.' Ellie yelled at him. _

_'Yeah mate, sit down.' Fred said. _

_'You're making us look like idiots.' George added._

_'I WILL NOT HAVE MY BROTHER INSULTED BY YOU. NOR HIS BEST FRIEND. BLAISE AND DRACO ARE COMMITTED TO OUR SIDE. THE LIGHT SIDE. NONE OF THEM WOULD EVER DO ANYTHING TO BETRAY US. BETRAY ME.' Ellie continued. _

_'They've brainwashed her. Where's the proof?' Ron asked. _

_'You want proof Weaselbee? I took the fucking oath. If I do anything that remotely sabotages you, I will suffer, most likely die. Besides I've been in Italy up until today.' Draco yelled. _

_'I can vouch for that.' Blaise and Ellie said at the same time. _

_'Ronald Weasley, listen to everyone and sit down or I will not hesitate to put you in detention for the first week of term.' Professor McGonagall commanded and so Ron sat down. 'Good. Now if you would please kindly continue Hagrid.' _

_'Ah yeh as I was saying, the man had blond hair and was about yay high but I can safely say that it was not Mr. Malfoy. Slughorn, do you agree?' _

_'What? Oh yes. It was not Draco.' Slughorn said dozily. _

_'Ok. So, what did the man do?' Neville asked. _

_'Well, he got paranoid when he looked at us and ran out the door.' Slughorn replied. _

_'Oh yes. The man asked the bartender about the Gwy…Gy…Gywdiun's Misguide and the bartender didn't know anything and then he began looking around agitated like and then he saw us and ran out the door.' Hagrid agreed. _

_'It was very peculiar indeed.' Slughorn mused. _

_'So zwat tis dis Gwydionz Mizguide?' Fleur asked. (ATTEMPT AT HER ACCENT, SORRY)._

_'Phlegm.' Ginny whispered under her breath and was swatted on the shoulder by her father. _

_'Well, we believe it is a mirror of some sort that has some magical ability but we are unsure as to what it is yet.' Harry said. _

_'So, like the Mirror of Erised?' Luna asked, dreamily. _

_'Well, uh. We can't answer that.' _

_'But if the death eaters have it, then it must be dark?' Professor Sprout asked. _

_'Or charmed or hexed to behave that way.' Flitwick added._

_'We don't actually know. We haven't been able to find anything.' Harry said. _

_'Draco and I searched the Malfoy Manor library today but found nothing.' Blaise explained. 'We figured well Ellie thought that we might be able to find something there. But nothing.'_

_'So, what should we do in the meantime Harry?' A little voice in the corner spoke and everyone's heads turned to Hannah. _

_'Well Hannah. We need to be on our toes. Mundungus is already in Sussex. Diggle is in Wales. The Weasleys can keep an eye on Devon. Professors keep an eye on Hogsmeade and surrounding towns or just Scotland in general, Bill and Fleur can keep an eye on Cornwall. Let's see, Hannah and Neville can keep an eye out in Godric's Hollow and Seamus and Luna in Ireland until school goes back. Then we will get some aurors to take over. Luna you moved to Ireland recently, right?' _

_'Oh yes. I wanted to catch a pygmy porlock…' Luna drifted off. _

_'Hah. They're nothing but a fable, Luna.' Seamus replied, to which he gained a glare. _

_'Alright moving on. Charlie. Romania please. Blaise. Italy. Malfoy. Wiltshire…'_

_'Uh Potter. Can I speak to you and Ellie for a moment?' Draco said and pulled the two of them to the side. _

_'What's up, Malfoy?' Harry asked. _

_'I do not want to go home right now.' Draco half-heartedly explained. _

_'Why?' Harry enquired. 'Having you spy on your father is the best chance we have in capturing these people.'_

_'Harry. Draco's life will be in danger if he goes home. His father beats him until he is near death.' Ellie explained. _

_'But…' Harry argued._

_'No buts Potter. I can't do it.' He said. _

_'Ok. Italy then, Malfoy.' Harry said loud enough for everyone to hear. _

_'What about me, Harry?' Ron asked. _

_'Kingsley, you and I, along with the auror department will patrol the rest.' _

_'You missed Ellie.' Neville stated. _

_'I'm order headquarters. I am on research duties.' Ellie answered. Ellie faked a smile, seriously annoyed that she was a shut in. But it was dangerous for her to be anywhere now, she understood that much. But she had lost so much of her freedom by doing so. She felt someone's hand clasp hers under the table and she looked down to see Draco's hand over hers. Looking up into his eyes, she noticed his smirk. Although it wasn't really a smirk. It was more a reassuring smile. She returned his smile before turning back to Harry, Draco's hand never leaving hers. _

_'And before you all go, I need all of you to do some research. Find out what this misguide is. We need to know what it is, to be able to stop it.' Harry asked of them. 'Oh, and one last thing. Theo Nott and Daphne Greengrass have access to the headquarters. They've provided us with some prophecies relating to this event. However, Daphne has sustained various injuries in relation to giving the prophecy and will be detained for an unknown period of time.' _

_'What are the prophecies, Harry?' Arthur asked. _

_'Well…Ellie? Blaise? Care to elaborate?' Harry said. Draco's hand suddenly left hers and she tried to not feel disappointed at the loss of contact. _

_'Uh well, the first is a lion and snake would be bonded by blood, where buds bloom after a flood. However, a rose without thorns would be no quest as a heart without love beats not against a chest.' Blaise said. _

_'And the second?' Charlie asked. _

_'The second is it was once foretold that a lion and snake would be bonded by blood; their power is strong enough in adversity. In new visions, I see two others who should join the fight. They fight for love. They fight for justice. Together, they stand as four roses from different walks of life. Power…, Strength…, Bravery…, Intelligence…From strength to strength, these four will go, but all roses must learn there are thorns to be trimmed.' Ellie said. _

_'Well, obviously the two others are me and Harry.' Ron stated. _

_'Not necessarily, Ron.' Ginny replied. 'It could mean anyone.' _

_'Miss Zabini, who do you believe are the other two?' Professor McGonagall asked with a hint of knowing in her eyes. _

_'Well, I'm not sure who the second one is but I believe one is Draco.' She said. One gruff laugh rang out amongst the room and all heads turned towards the person. _

_'I'm sorry. Malfoy? Now we're getting ridiculous here. He's a death eater.' Ron laughed. _

_'RONALD WEASLEY. That is enough or I will make you live in the attic with the poltergeist. Sorry Ellie dear. Please continue.' Molly said. _

_'Bloody hell. You're not on his side, are you? Remember who he fought for in the war, remember what he did…' Harry grabbed his shoulder. _

_'Ron. I think it is best you leave.' He said. _

_'What? No bloody way, Harry. What the hell is going on here?' Ron was getting redder and more upset by the second. Harry looked to Molly and Arthur in desperation. They nodded and picked him up and carted him towards the floo, kicking and screaming. _

_'Oh for Merlin's sake.' Fred cried. _

_'Ickle Ronniekins our little brother.' George replied. _

_'Is a moron.' They said together. _

_'Nowz zat Ronald is out of ze way. Zwat are zwe going to do about ze prophecy?' Fleur asked. _

_'I second that.' Bill replied. 'We don't exactly know who we should be protecting here if the prophecy is about a fight.'_

_'Well. We know one thing with absolute certainty. Blaise and Ellie are the original two.' Harry said. _

_'And what do we do otherwise?' Seamus piped up. _

_'Go about your other orders as told. We have to let fate run it's course.' Harry replied. 'If there are any more questions, don't hesitate to ask but as of now this meeting is adjourned.' Harry walked over to Professor McGonagall and Professor Slughorn and began to chat. Ellie just sat and stared off into space. She wasn't sure what she was doing with herself. Why didn't she stand up to Ron the second time? Ugh, she was so off her game. _

_'Are you ok, Ellie?' She heard Draco's voice whisper into her ear. She shivered at the warmth of his breath. 'You seem a bit put out.' _

_'Yeah fine.' She faked a smile and stood to leave the room with a vacant expression. _

_ 'Uh. I'm just going to go and check on her.' She heard Blaise reassure Draco as she left the room. _

_(Outside)_

_He had found her on the top stair of the staircase, wrapping herself into a cocoon. Sitting down next to her, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. _

_'Hey. Tell me what's wrong?' He whispered. _

_'I don't know.' She replied. 'I thought Ron was my friend but ever since he found out that I'm a Zabini, well…he just seems to be reverting back to his childhood grudges. He can't seem to accept that people can change. You never know what is going on behind closed doors. But what gets me is that I couldn't fight him. I just had no strength.' _

_'I know how you feel. He was attacking my best friend. Look, if it's any consolation, no one else seems to believe what he does.' He replied. _

_'I suppose you're right, Blaise.' She sighed. 'But I still feel useless for not standing up against him.'_

_'Look. Ron is the thickest guy I know. It will take a while for him to come around. You standing up to him wouldn't have helped anything so stop beating yourself up over it. Alright?' He paused to see her smile weakly and give a tiny nod before asking his burning question. 'Why did you lie to Draco?'_

_'What do you mean?' She replied. _

_'You said you were fine when you weren't.' He explained, looking down at her with concern._

_'Oh. I don't know. Just force of habit I suppose.' She replied, unsure of the reason. He nodded in acceptance of her answer and allowed her to move closer into his embrace. They watched as everyone began to leave from their top step. _

_'I missed you at home last night. We all did. Even the elves said something about it this morning.' He uttered as they saw the last to leave; the professors, enter the hallway. _

_'I missed being there too. But hey, we only have a month before we go back to school now.' She replied. _

_'Oh shit. Yeah, we do, don't we? When do you reckon, we'll get our letters?' _

_'Probably in the next week or so. I wonder how I'll get all my school shopping done.' She tacked on the end. _

_'Oh. Well Draco and I can get your stuff for you and bring it here.' Blaise offered. 'As I understand it, Harry isn't going to let you go roaming the streets anymore. I'm sorry about that. Oh I forgot…' He pulled out her leather-bound journal they had bought in Florence and handed it to her. 'You forgot this.' _

_'Oh. You would do that for me? Thanks so much. You didn't read it did you?' She asked._

_'No. I figured if you wanted to tell me something you would. Besides, I don't think we have any secrets from each other.' _

Well there is one, involving a certain blond-haired man downstairs.

_'Alright. Well thank you. Have you written in yours yet?' _

_'Yes. Every night.' He replied. _

_The sound of Harry and Draco talking approached them as they emerged from the dining room. Both men's eyes gravitated towards the siblings nestled against each other on the staircase. Harry looked beside himself whereas Draco looked nonchalant. _

_'We'll continue this talk later, Malfoy.' Harry said with a firm nod of reply. 'Ellie. I'm so sorry about Ron. I don't know what has gotten into him. He hasn't been the same since the war. I'm actually a little concerned about it.' _

_'What do you mean? You think he's gone mad?' Ellie replied. _

_'Well?...Honestly, I don't know. Perhaps we should keep an eye on him. He seems a bit on edge.' Harry replied._

_'On edge is a bit of an understatement Potter. The bloke followed me around The Leaky Cauldron the other night because he believed what the tabloids said about Ellie and I being a couple.' Draco scoffed. 'Who believes anything the Prophet prints anyway?' _

_'Do you think he'll do something stupid?' Blaise queried. _

_'Well I have no idea how mentally unstable he is. We all saw things during the war that we shouldn't have seen. There was a period of time where Ron left Ellie and I and he went out on his own. He told us a little of what happened but I don't think he told us the whole story. Judging by the way he is reacting to all this news; it can't be good.' _

_'You don't think he could end up in the middle of something dangerous, do you?' Ellie enquired. _

_'This is Ron we are talking about. He'd never do anything to betray his family. I just think he might have some wounds to work through but hasn't had the chance.' He replied. _

_'Did Kingsley say anything more on the death eater sightings?' Ellie asked, trying the change the subject. _

_'Nothing as far as the sighting from last night. Malfoy, are you sure you can't go home?' Harry asked. _

_For the first time in her life, she saw Draco openly look conflicted. He shifted gingerly from one foot to another and closed his eyes. She watched as he swallowed deeply but took a calming breath. She assumed his heartrate was pounding wildly, judging by his appearance. When he opened his eyes a moment later, he looked more determined than ever. _

_'I can't believe I'm doing this but I don't want to be a coward anymore.' He swallowed deeply again. 'I will return to Malfoy Manor.' He said finally. 'Been hanging around bloody Gryffindors for too long, I'm going soft.' Ellie smirked but stood up and walked down the stairs to him. _

_'There is nothing wrong with being brave, Draco.' She said. 'Being brave doesn't make you soft. It makes you stronger. Just look at Harry. There were times where he was close to death but he was brave enough to overcome them.' Blaise and Harry stood against the railing with their eyebrows raised, unsure of where this was going. She turned towards them realising what she needed to say to him, needed to be done in private. So, she took his hand as he blushed under the contact and pulled him into the nearest room which happened to be the room with all the Black family tree on the walls, closing the door behind them on the way in. She dropped his burning skin and looked him straight in the eye. 'You are braver than you think, Draco. When your aunt attacked me in the drawing room, I saw it. You could have said something. You could have stopped it. But you didn't because if you did, we would have both died and the world would be worse off. You were brave enough to say nothing. I saw the pain behind your eyes. You wanted to stop it so badly, that you were trembling.' His eyes were unwavering from her gaze. 'When Lord Voldemort chose you to murder Dumbledore and you disarmed him in the astronomy tower, you didn't go through with it.' She said. _

_'But that was an act of cowardice.' He interrupted. _

_'No. It wasn't. It was an act of bravery. You stood up for what you believed in. You lowered your wand because you knew killing was wrong. You were brave enough to lower your wand even though you knew the consequences that would befall you for failing. That is bravery, Draco. You're not a coward. You've been acting in bravery all this time but unaware of it. Being brave is not about saving the world. It is about standing up against the things you are uncomfortable in doing.' She finished and she began to observe his face. A multitude of emotions crossed his face; confusion, disbelief, understanding and before she could realise what the last one was, he closed the distance between them and placed his lips gently on hers. She nearly cried out in shock but then realised how good his lips felt against hers and she melted into his embrace. Reaching her hands up to thread her fingers in his hair, she closed her eyes and revelled in the warmth of his body against hers. It was a dream that she never wanted to wake up from. She moaned softly in appreciation which made him kiss her deeper. Feeling his tongue reach out to her lips, she permitted him entry, setting her whole body on fire. He moaned in gratitude and went about kissing her so fully and intently she thought she was the only woman left on Earth. Tangling her hands in his soft, blond locks; he pulled her in tighter towards him and she could feel his longing in between her thighs. It made her feel wanted and appreciated. Much more so, than when she had been with Viktor or Ron. As much as she wanted more, she knew it was wrong to be doing this. Even if it felt so right. After another minute, she reluctantly pulled back and looked into his eyes. A look of hurt or maybe regret clouded them. She could still feel the tingle from where his lips were a moment ago. Neither of them said anything. They stood there awkwardly in each other's arms, blushing from their intimacy. Ellie then cleared her throat. _

_'So, that just happened.' She said, still blushing from the memory. _

_'I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me.' He replied sheepishly, running a hand through his hair. _

_'Don't apologise Draco.' She answered. 'I actually quite enjoyed it.' She added under her breath but it didn't go unnoticed by him. He smirked. _

_'Well, I quite enjoyed it too.' He replied, with a slight smile. _

_'So, um. Should we let go of each other now?' She asked. _

_'Oh yeah. Sorry.' He let go of her and they moved apart slightly. 'So, um…what now?' _

_'What do you mean?' She raised an eyebrow. 'It was just a kiss.' _

_'Just a kiss? You've got to be kidding me Ellie.' Draco scoffed. _

_'Alright. It was an amazing kiss but it doesn't change anything.' Ellie replied. 'You have a marriage contract to break and we're both not looking for a relationship…' She trailed off. _

_'Oh, yeah of course. We're still friends though, right?' He replied and looked away. _

_'Of course, we're still friends.' She extended her hand for him to shake and when he did, they both felt the burn and blushed and turned away. 'I'm proud of you for putting your fear aside and going home.' She said eventually. 'It will be a huge step in finding these death eaters and returning them to where they belong. But please be careful. Blaise would die if he were to lose his best friend.' _

He wouldn't be the only one.

_'Thanks Ellie. It means a lot. I promise I'll…' _

_'Excuse me? You two walked away without even saying anything to us.' Harry barged into the room followed by Blaise. _

_'Try.' Draco finished and turned to the intruders._

_'Seriously Ellie. So rude.' Blaise said mockingly and came over to wrap his arm around his sister's shoulders. 'What are you two crazy kids up to anyway?' He asked. Ellie and Draco looked at each other, blushed and smirked before answering. Blaise quirked an eyebrow but didn't say anything. _

_'Just talking about Draco's impending marriage to Astoria.' Ellie lied. _

_'Oh, and are you any closer to figuring it out?' He asked._

* * *

Ellie's flashback ended, her cheeks flushed from reliving that kiss that she and Draco had shared. She definitely knew she had feelings for him now but couldn't act upon them. There was just too much going on in their lives to get involved. But now, it made her even more determined to release him from his contract. It was a rainy Tuesday afternoon and she was pouring over the contract again, stopping every so often to write little notes. Nothing she had written down so far was very helpful though which was frustrating. She had maxed out the Black library for books on magical artefacts to find Gwydion's Misguide as well but had found absolutely nothing. It was as if the existence of the artefact was stuff of legend. Draco had returned home and had been writing her updates everyday under an alias. However, most had a sombre theme. His father had continued to beat him up and he had been placed under house arrest much to his dislike. The one bright point was that their letters gave them some comfort that they weren't alone. Harry left her alone in the house most days whilst he went to work with the aurors and Ginny had returned home to do some damage control. It was nice knowing that someone else felt her pain. When they had received their Hogwarts letters, she had gained the head girl position and that made her feel overjoyed. So much so, that she had written to Draco straight away. His reply had come quickly and he admitted he had the head boy position as well, meaning they would share a dormitory this year. Blaise had taken her extensive book and supply list and had purchased every item she needed and delivered them to her. He visited often but they only spent a couple of hours together as he couldn't abandon his post for long in case something happened. Theo had stopped by once as well and told her that Daphne was recovering well, her consciousness was getting better every day. She was glad that she was being kept in the loop even though she was under house arrest.

Unfortunately, Ron had yet to apologize for his outburst at the order meeting. Fred and George had written and told her that he had been scolded for days and had been given an extensive list of chores by Molly. There had been some involvement of gnome tossing and he had been relocated to the attic with the poltergeist. He had been more reserved in his opinions lately and hardly ever spoke. When asked about apologizing however, he dead right refused. She had sighed in resignation that her friend may never forgive and forget.

Her stomach growled and she sighed. She was getting nowhere here so she had might as well go and get herself something to eat. She thought about calling Kreacher but chose against it. The house elf was extremely prejudiced still and she didn't like using them, even if she were lazy. So, she made her way down the creaky hallways of number 12 Grimmauld Place towards the kitchen. Reaching the kitchen, she was grateful that it was absent of the elf. Going to the pantry, she pulled out a pink lady apple and went and sat at the table. A sudden draft made her shiver and she pulled her wand out to light the fire. She sat back against the chair and absorbed the warmth it gave her. When she finished her apple, she decided to make a cup of tea. She boiled some water and poured it into a cup with a tea bag, taking it back over to the fire to sit and absorb the warmth some more. Taking a sip and looking around, she saw her abandoned packages that Blaise had delivered to her earlier that day. Sighing she went over and unwrapped them one by one until they all lay open in front of her. Usually school supplies made her jump with joy but that day she just felt nothing. Maybe because she was deflated from not being able to find anything. She didn't really know. She took one last look at them and then went back to her spot in front of the fire.

Twenty minutes later and her tea was finished, the whoosh of the fireplace in the dining room alerted her to someone's arrival. Hurrying to see who the intruder was, she stopped dead in her tracks as she entered the room.

'Daphne? What the hell are you doing here? What's wrong? Where's Theo?' She asked, rushing to help the struggling girl into a seat.

'Calm down, Ellie. I'm fine. Just a little winded. Nothing is wrong. Theo and Blaise went to investigate something dodgy in Milan. But I needed to see you.' She said.

'Me? Why? You're supposed to be resting.' Ellie replied.

'I'm well aware of that but since when do Slytherins listen to the rules?' Daphne replied and Ellie admitted that the girl did have a point.

'Fair point. What can I do for you Daphne?' Ellie asked.

'I know it's not very Slytherin like, but I need to apologize to you for everything. For keeping everything from you. It wasn't fair on you or Blaise. Or anyone for that matter. But there are certain rules that have to be obeyed and it was out of my control.' She explained. 'I want us to have no secrets Ellie. I want us to be friends.'

'We are friends Daphne. I'm sorry I went off at you for keeping things from me.' Ellie replied. Daphne weakly hugged her. 'Daphne. When did you regain consciousness?'

'Uh. Well. Last night.' The girl said sheepishly.

'Couldn't this have waited until you were well enough?' Ellie asked, concern evident on her face.

'Well. It could have. But I get bored easily.' Daphne explained. 'I'm sorry but do you have anything to eat, I'm starving?' She asked. Ellie laughed and got up and went to the pantry and pulled out some bread and then went to the refrigerator and pulled out some salad and made her a sandwich. Returning to the room and setting the plate in front of the girl, she ate in a rather unladylike fashion.

'Thank you.' She said in between mouthfuls.

'You're welcome.' Ellie replied.

When the girl was done, she turned to Ellie with a serious look on her face. 'So, what's been happening since I was gone?'

'Well. You've missed a fair bit I suppose. The prophecies are about pureblood supremacy. Theo thinks the second part is about Isobel and Draco. Death eaters killed a muggle man and a muggleborn woman. They have an artefact called Gwydion's Misguide which is like a mirror wrapped in aluminium foiling. We had an order meeting. Ron isn't speaking to me. Everyone is on lookout for death eater activity. I'm under house arrest. Draco is under house arrest. Draco and I kissed…' she covered her mouth realising her mistake.

'WHAT? You and Draco kissed! When? Why? Was it any good?' She asked. Ellie blushed but figured she had to tell the girl now. The secret was out of the bag.

'After the order meeting. I gave him a lecture on how he wasn't a coward merely brave and he kind of just kissed me.' She explained.

'And?' Daphne asked.

'Merlin.' She let out and Daphne squealed.

'That good? So, are you two a thing now? What about his marriage to Astoria?' She asked.

'No. We aren't a thing. We're just friends. But we are still trying to break this contract.' Ellie explained. This was getting more awkward by the second.

'But do you have feelings for him?' Daphne quirked her eyebrow at her. Should Ellie tell her? Well, she had no reason not to trust her. The girl had proven her trustworthiness by prophesising about her after all.

'Yes. I think I do.' Ellie admitted and blushed even redder, whilst Daphne squealed again.

'Does he know? Do you want to be with him?' She asked.

'No, he doesn't know. I would like to give whatever this is a go but it can't happen Daph.'

'And why not?' She asked. 'You two are practically made for each other.'

'Hah. I don't know about that Daph. There is just too much going on in our lives and what if we can't break the contract? My heart will be broken.' She explained.

'Aw Ellie. Fair enough. I can try and help you guys break the contract if you need me to.' Daphne offered.

'Maybe. But not today. You've had too much go on lately.' Ellie stated firmly.

'Good point. Anyway, do you mind if I crash in a bedroom for a bit? I'm still not one hundred percent.' Daphne asked. Ellie nodded and assisted the girl up the stairs to a bedroom where she fell asleep near immediately. She stood and watched Daphne sleep contentedly for a moment before she tiptoed out of the room and down the hall again.

Finding her abandoned school supplies, she decided she had better put them away before Harry got home. After struggling up the stairs and dumping them into her trunk, she went back to the contract.

_89\. The male party has all rights to female party's possessions from the commencement of the marriage, however, female party will not under any circumstances apart from death be allowed access to valuable possessions. _

_90\. However, in the case of children, the female party may be allowed access for their monetary purposes but only if granted so by the male party. _

How archaic. Female submits to man. Draco had better watch out if he didn't get out of this, Astoria would think of some loophole around that.

_91\. In the case of irreconcilable argument, both parties must approach guidance counsellor or parental input for advice. However, both parties must maintain pride and be dignified, thereby meaning neither party should seek advice from friend, colleague or acquaintance._

She snorted in a very unladylike way. Guidance counselling? She could burst out laughing. She couldn't see Astoria or Draco going to guidance counselling. But she supposed due to their pureblood beliefs, 'no pureblood shall show strain in public' or whatever.

_92\. The female party has no right to call out the male party's abuse whether it be mental or physical. Subsequently, any children forfeit the same right. _

Shit. Did Lucius and Narcissa have a similar agreement? Was that why Draco wasn't allowed to fight his father? That was horrible. Now she was feeling even more sorry for Draco's upbringing.

_93\. Divorce is strictly prohibited. Subject to clause 4. _

She turned to clause 4.

_Clause 4. In the extreme and unlikely situation where the male party physically cannot carry out rule 2, female party has all rights to divorce male party. _

She turned to rule 2 again.

_2\. Female and male party must produce at least one heir, one year into marriage. _

Bingo. She found it. The loophole to the clause. Draco needed to be sterile for them not to be married. But what were the consequences for a Malfoy man who was sterile? Would Draco be punished for being physically incapable? Was there a way to make him sterile temporarily just to get him out of a loveless marriage? She had no idea. Maybe she should try and find another way out. She noted down the rules and the clause on her parchment and kept reading, hoping she would find another way out of this situation.

She had no idea how long she had been working because the next time she looked up, Daphne entered the room again. She yawned and stretched and came over and sat beside her.

'So. How's this going?' Daphne took the thick stack of parchment from her and placed it on the table in front of them.

'Not so great. How was your sleep?' Ellie replied, not even bothering to fight her when she took the parchment from her, she needed a break.

'Restful. Now, tell me more about this artefact that the death eaters have.' She demanded.

'Well. Gwydion's Misguide is some sort of mirror wrapped in aluminium foil that has dark magic.' She said. 'Dolohov killed two people just to obtain it from their garbage bin.' She explained. 'However, no literature bar one has given us any insight into what it's use may be.'

'Hmm. Gwydion's Misguide you said. I've heard of it before. My father actually mentioned it in passing before he disowned me. Let's see if I can remember what he said.' She paused and thought. 'No. I can't remember it, sorry but he was reading it under his breath in a book. In our library. Perhaps the book is still there.' Daphne replied. Ellie couldn't believe it. The first lead in weeks.

'Daphne. That's brilliant. We must tell Harry right away.' Ellie said excitedly and stood up, walking towards a desk to pen a letter to Harry. His new owl, Opal, a marvellous black screech owl with dark opal-like coloured streaks through her feathers sat beside her.

'Well. I can't guarantee anything but I hope it helps.' Daphne replied and stood behind her.

_Henry,  
I simply have the most marvellous news. Daisy and I can't wait to share it with you. Please come home as soon as you read this.  
Erin _

'Daisy? Merlin's beard. Is that really my alias? Couldn't you have picked something a little more…I don't know less cow like?' Daphne asked, gagging at the name and scrunching up her face. Ellie just laughed.

'Sorry, Daph. Harry picked them whilst you were in a coma. You weren't the worst one though. Ron got Weatherby. He hated it when Slughorn called him that. Harry wanted to have a joke but for some reason it stuck. Let's just say he was less than pleased.' Both girls laughed.

'What did Draco, Blaise and Theo get?' Daphne asked after they had calmed down.

'Damien, Benjamin, Trent.' Ellie replied.

'Gods. I hate how everything is being intercepted these days.' Daphne complained and went and sat down again as Ellie attached the letter to Opal's leg and sent her out.

'I agree. I'm actually surprised the code is working though. You would think they would figure out that the people writing these letters are under alias. But apparently not.' Ellie explained out loud, re-joining Daphne on the lounge.

'So, tell me about my prophecy.' Daphne said.

Ellie began to explain every little detail of the prophecy, who Theo believed the people were and who she thought they were. Then she told her about Ron and how he flipped and hadn't apologized. Daphne was a great listener. She absorbed all the information and asked the right questions and before long the familiar whoosh of the fireplace roared.

'ELLIE. Where are you?' Harry called.

'In the library.' She called back as she heard footsteps running up the stairs to where the two girls were sitting. As he entered the room, they looked over to him.

'So, you're awake. What's the good news?' He asked.

'How observant Harry. We may have a lead into the Gwydion's misguide mystery. My father read it in one of the books in the library at Greengrass Manor.' She explained.

'She believes the book may still be there.' Ellie added.

'That's brilliant. But how do we get access to it?' He asked. 'I'm sorry. But seeing as you were disowned, I'm assuming your family will have restrictions on your access to the estate.' He turned to Daphne. 'I can't get a search warrant without good reason either.' They sat for another minute before Ellie and Daphne sat up at the same time.

'DRACO!' They shouted in unison.

* * *

**WELL...until next time Zozo :) **


	22. Situations and Solutions

**Chapter 21**

**(Ellie POV)**

* * *

'Draco? How will he…oh. I see. That's bloody brilliant. Wait, didn't you say he's under house arrest?' Harry asked, looking at Ellie.

'Well, yes he is, but Lucius wants him to spend more time with Astoria. If he goes to her house…'

'He'll have access to the library.' Harry interrupted Ellie. 'Well. I can't see why we can't try it. We have no other options as of this moment.'

Nodding her head in agreement, Ellie got up and went over to the table to pen a letter to Draco.

_Damien,  
Daisy told me something quite interesting and we have a proposition for you. Is there any way we would be able to speak to you? Let us know as soon as possible.  
Erin x_

Opal returned through the window and fluffed her feathers in annoyance that she was about to do another trip. Addressing the letter, she told the bird to take it straight to Draco and no one else and the bird flew off.

'So. How do you feel Daph?' Harry asked.

'Honestly, I could be a lot worse.' She replied. Ellie sat down again and watched the two interact. Harry and Daphne had put their past grudges behind them long before the war. If Ellie could pinpoint that exact moment, it would have been double potions with the Slytherins the year before they left to hunt for horcruxes. Slughorn had placed them together to work on a pairs assignment, whilst Ellie had been placed with Lavender Brown, much to her disgust. Harry and Daphne worked well together and had decided that being enemies was just plain stupid. However, if it weren't for their current significant others, she could have sworn they liked each other. There was something in their interactions that she thought was verging on flirty but bringing it up would just stir up trouble. Besides, she knew they wouldn't do that. Daphne was too in love with Theo and Harry was completely besotted with Ginny.

'Ellie, what do you think?' Harry turned to her, bringing her back to earth.

'I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't hear what you were saying.' Ellie replied.

'I asked if it would be ok if Ron came over later this week. I think he wants to apologize.' Harry explained.

'How many times do you forgive that great big oaf for his actions? It is about time he started to grow up and not act like a five-year-old.' Daphne spat.

'Yeah, he can be a grade A moron.' Harry agreed. 'But he is our friend. There have been times where he has come through though.'

'Yeah. I know. I know. The war and everything.' Daphne resigned.

'Anyway. Ellie, do you think it will be alright if he came over?' Harry asked.

'He needs to learn that people can change.' Ellie said, folding her arms across his chest. 'Draco is with us now, not his father.'

'I know. But I think he's remorseful this time. Ginny told me that he's been having a rough time lately. He failed his Chudley Cannons tryout again. He won't be able to tryout again until next year. Besides, Lavender is giving him a hard time about it. She wants him to go back to school and graduate and then get a 'real job'. Not to mention, he hasn't even told Molly yet that he doesn't want to go back to Hogwarts.' Harry explained. 'Having Draco here was the icing on the cake.'

'Did you just say Draco?' Ellie asked in shock. It was always Malfoy to him, not Draco.

'Uh…yeah I did. Ellie, stop changing the subject.' He replied in annoyance. 'I think Ron just needs more time than us to register the fact the world is changing.'

'That's no excuse for treating me, my brother and his best friend like crap, Harry.' Ellie rebutted.

'I know it's not. But come on, Elles, he's our friend. Don't you think we at least owe him the chance to explain himself? It is probably about time we give him the credit that he hasn't received for his effort during the war.' He replied.

'Well…ugh…fine. You've convinced me but I'm still not happy with this.' Ellie replied. 'But you are right that we do need to give him the credit.'

'Good. Well I'll get him to come around soon then. Maybe then, Ginny will come home.' Harry looked crestfallen.

'Harry, how are things with Ginny going?' Daphne asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

'What? Oh, they're fine.' He replied.

'Harry…' Ellie pushed. 'I've known you long enough to know that tone does not mean you're fine.'

'Alright. Alright. You got me.' He sighed. 'Ginny has been pulling away from me lately. I don't know why though.'

'Well, have you asked her what's going on?' Daphne asked.

'No. Well. Not directly.' Harry said.

'Harry…you won't know what's wrong until you ask her.' Ellie explained.

'I know. But every time I go to ask, she shuts me down or walks away.' Harry replied.

'Hmm…looks like Ginny needs a girl to girl talk.' Daphne suggested and looked at Ellie.

'Wait. You don't mean…me? Daphne no. I'm horrible with matters of the heart.' Ellie cried.

'No. Not just you. You and I will talk to her.' Daphne said, coolly and turned towards Harry. 'Harry, do you think you could get her to come here for us to chat?'

'Well. I suppose I can try. But there's no guarantee.' Harry said, quietly.

'Good. Don't worry Harry. We'll get to the bottom of this.' She assured.

'You're a good friend, Daphne.' Harry replied.

'I've been told.' Daphne feigned being flattered and Harry slapped her shoulder and both of them ended up giggling like little schoolgirls. It was really a strange sight to Ellie. She had never seen Harry let himself be like that apart from when he was around Ron and herself. Just how close were these two? She didn't let herself think about it for much longer for a reply came with Opal in that moment.

She jumped up and nearly ran to the window to get his reply. She didn't notice the knowing glance between Daphne and Harry.

_Erin,  
I'll make this quick as I'm not sure when my father will return. Meet me in your dining room, 9pm tonight. I will connect through floo call. My mother will keep father occupied. I don't know how long I'll be able to speak though.  
Damien x_

'What did he say, Ellie?' Daphne asked.

'Dining room, 9pm tonight.' She replied. Daphne and Harry nodded.

'Well that sorts out one issue. Now on to the next one.' Daphne said, turning to Harry as the floo went off in the house.

'POTTER! DAPHNE! ELLIE! Where the hell are you?' The sound of Theo's angry voice echoed around the house.

'In the library.' Harry yelled back. The sound of two pairs of feet came pounding up the stairs. Upon Theo's and Blaise's entry into the room and their solemn faces, they immediately knew something was up.

'Potter. I'm glad you're here. We have some bad news.' Blaise said and came and sat across from him.

'What happened?' He asked, sitting up straight in his chair.

'We went to Milan as there had been suspicious activity reported by various people. When we got there…' Blaise stopped and took a deep breath. 'The dark mark had been shot up in the sky.'

'Go on.' Harry said.

'We ran as fast as we could to see what happened. It was horrible.' Theo replied. 'The whole alley in Milan was decimated. There was nothing left. Even the café that served as the entrance was gone.'

'Any casualties?' Ellie asked in curiosity. Her worst fear had been confirmed. It had started again. Another war. Not even six months out of the last one.

'Everyone that was in the alley and café at the time have disappeared without a trace. As far as we know there could be survivors but they're just gone. No evidence that the killing curse was used. Aurors were there within two minutes but it was too late. They have no idea how it could have happened so quickly or how there was absolutely no one there. I asked some muggles what they thought happened and they seem to be treating it as a bomb explosion. But there wasn't even a body to be found.'

'I need to get back to work…now.' Harry said, emphasising the now. 'Thanks Blaise and Theo. I'll let you debrief here but I'll need you back in Milan in say about an hour?' The two men nodded in response as Harry got up and apologetically rushed out of the room which left the four of them in the room, contemplating what had just happened.

'So many people are just gone. How in the world could that happen and so quickly too?' Ellie wondered out loud. 'And not by the killing curse either.'

'Do you think this has something to do with Gwydion's misguide?' Daphne asked Ellie in response.

'It might. But I wouldn't have a clue until we know what it is. That's why we need to get Draco to get that book.' Ellie replied.

'What book?' Theo asked in confusion.

'There's a book in the Greengrass library that Daphne believes may have the answers as to what it is.' Ellie answered.

'Really? That's brilliant, apart from the retrieval bit.' Theo said bluntly.

'We're going to ask Draco to try and retrieve it when he floos tonight.' Daphne replied. 'He is engaged to Astoria. It will be the easiest way to get in.'

'But isn't he under house arrest?' Blaise quirked his eyebrow in confusion.

'He is but if he says he wants to spend time with Astoria at her house, their parents will be overjoyed. It's what they want.' Daphne stated. 'It's quite a brilliant plan really. They wouldn't even suspect a thing.'

'Well let's just hope he can pull it off then.' Blaise said, a hint of scepticism in his tone. They sat there silent for a few moments, reeling in the intensity of the situation before Theo changed the subject.

'You're supposed to be on bed rest Daphne. You could have hurt yourself travelling here on your own in your condition. You should know better than that.'

Daphne screwed up her face and glared at her boyfriend.

'My condition? Merlin. I'm not a china doll. I'm fine. I'm in one piece. It's not like I'm going to do it again now am I? I think Ellie could use the company here.' She glanced at Ellie and gave her a weak smile which she returned.

'But still…'

'I know. It was stupid of me and I'm sorry I worried you. I promise I won't do that again ok?' She mellowed her voice just enough to drizzle some honey over it. The effect obviously pulled off because Theo didn't push the issue further.

'So, I suppose Theo and I should get going?' Blaise asked and they all turned to him. He was sitting back in the chair with his arms folded across his chest. 'We'll have to swing by the manor and collect some supplies before heading back out to Milan. Goodness knows how long Potter will keep us there.'

'True. Hadn't thought of that.' Theo replied.

'Oh, while I'm at it, have you gotten anywhere with the contract?' Blaise turned his voice towards Ellie. The sudden change of subject startled her.

'Oh. Ah. The contract. Nothing worth mentioning.' She said lamely, hoping it would fool them. She was god awful at lying. Observing the Slytherins in front of her, Theo and Daphne seemed to accept her lie but Blaise, being the ever-perceptive twin, could tell she was hiding something. His face gave it away that he knew she was lying and he sent her an intimidating glare to indicate he wasn't so impressed.

'Later.' She mouthed. He settled for that response, unfolded his arms and extricated himself from the chair. He walked over to his sister and gave her a hug. 'You'd better tell me what you found later, sorella.' He whispered in her ear.

'Are you going to be alright here Daph?' Theo asked his girlfriend, wrapping his arms around her.

'Yes, of course I will be. I think Ellie and I will be perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves, Theo.' She replied and pushed back a little.

'Come on then, mate. Can't keep the famous Potter waiting.' Blaise dragged a reluctant Theo away from Daphne and towards the door. 'Ciao, ladies.' He gave them a final wave and wink before leaving the room. When they were out of earshot, Daphne spoke again.

'Ugh. As much as I love a concerned boyfriend, he drives me insane sometimes.'

'You can't blame him. You disappeared without telling him where you were going. You only just came out of a coma as well.' Ellie rebutted. 'He just wants to make sure you're ok. You've probably worried the guy to death by keeping the prophecy in so long. I couldn't blame him for that.'

'I know. I know. It's just I'm not the kind to sit around and have people dote on me. I'm not sure what your perception of a pureblood family household is like but it isn't all what it's cracked up to be.' Daphne replied.

'Tell me what life was like growing up, Daphne.' Ellie said, wondering if she had had it all wrong all these years.

'You see, most people think that being a pureblood elitist is the equivalent of being a filthy rich spoiled brat and for some, like my sister and Pansy, that is true. But for a few of us, like Theo and myself, we were provided with the necessities and whatever was required to keep the façade of the elite up. Sure, they doted on me the first few years of my life but when Tori came, they brushed me aside and only made sure the elves took care of me. I had to grow up watching my sister get everything she ever wanted. They paid attention to me when I got into Slytherin at Hogwarts but soon they went back to nearly forgetting I existed. Hogwarts was my haven. I didn't have to deal with my sister and parents who would ignore me. But then Tori got sorted into Slytherin as well and let's just say I had to deal with her parading around the halls, bragging about how good she has it. But when we started divination in year three is where it all went down-hill. I began telling prophecies that became true and when Tori found out she called me a freak and wrote to our parents. I got howlers. Tonnes of them. I was told to keep it under wraps because a seer in the family would tarnish their reputation. When he who must not be named rose, my parents, through peer pressure, became supporters. Because I was underage at the time, I was not forced to join them. They became obsessed with his work and when I became of age, just before the war, they tried to force me to join them. I blatantly refused. I saw what had happened to Draco and I wouldn't be placed under that pressure. So, I consulted Theo and he agreed, so we both refused. Our parents were furious and disowned us, throwing us out onto the streets with barely anything to survive. I hung around the estate for a little while and they got the elves to throw my stuff out onto the grounds. I think their intention was to burn it but I secretly collected enough of it before they got to it. Then I left and could never return so I went back to the only place I felt truly at home. I decided then and there, I was going to change the way other houses perceive Slytherins. So, when Slughorn placed Harry and I together in potions, I buried the hatchet with him and we've been friends ever since. I was much nicer to people and began making friends in other houses. My sister found out and yelled at me. But I told her I couldn't care less what she thought and took her down a peg or two and we've avoided each other like the plague ever since.'

'Oh wow. I had no idea, I'm so sorry.' Ellie replied.

'Don't be. I'm much better off without them in my life.' Daphne countered.

'You are such a strong person. I can't believe you had to suffer that much.'

'Hah. I bet Merlin's beard that you've suffered more than me. Draco told me what happened in the manor. Bellatrix the horrible bint of a woman. But you grew up being taunted by us only to find out you weren't what we called you. Not that you or anyone were in the first place. But still, that is torture. Not to mention, the turmoil of having to abandon your own identity to adopt a whole new one. What did your muggle parents even do when they found out that you know?' Daphne queried.

'They don't know. They don't even know me. I removed their memories before the war but the memory charm was too effective and it had permanent effects. It would have caused too much damage to remove the charms. It might not have been possible to retrieve any memory of me in their lives. But at least they are safe as Wendell and Monica Wilkins in Australia.'

'Oh, my goodness. I stepped at the end of a blast ended shrewt. I'm so sorry. I didn't know.' Daphne sympathised.

'Don't apologise. As you said, you didn't know.' She replied.

'Anyway, should we get something to eat? Surely it's nearing dinner time.' Daphne said.

'I'm starting to think Daisy was the perfect name for you.' Ellie said cheekily.

'Hey! You take that back.' Daphne swatted her shoulder whilst Ellie giggled.

'Sorry, no refunds.' Ellie giggled again and Daphne joined her.

'Alright Zabini. But I will get you back for this.' She replied.

'No doubt. Let's go then…Daisy.'

* * *

**(Draco POV)**

Her letter had arrived at the most opportune time. His father was out. Well actually opportune wasn't exactly the right word because recently, his father had been going out for odd lengths of time. Sometimes it would be days at a time, so he was just glad that he hadn't been home when he received the letter. He hated when his father would come home. Upon his return, he would have to prepare himself for another belting. He was beginning to think Lucius was trying to belt him into submission. But he would never succumb to that life again. He knew better. He wanted better. There was a proper motive to fight for; Ellie. He was fighting for her. For a chance to prove himself to her and to hopefully be hers someday. He would do anything for her, even if it meant getting hurt. But regardless of the prolonged absences of his father, he couldn't risk him seeing the letter and beginning to ask questions. Or worse, torturing him for answers. He shuddered and opened the letter from the owl (of whom he was informed was called Opal and was Potter's) and read the elegant script.

_Damien, _

His penname. They had come up with 'secret' names just in case any of the mail was intercepted. Apparently, privacy meant squat nowadays. Although, how effective these pennames were, he had no idea.

_Daisy told me something quite interesting and we have a proposition for you. _

So, Daphne was finally awake he realised and a proposition? Well, that would either be good or bad. He hoped that nothing could be worse than his current situation. But he wasn't sure there could be much worse than his current situation.

_Is there any way we would be able to speak to you? Let us know as soon as possible.  
Erin x_

She signed it with an x. He sighed. She could do that with everyone though. He had no idea when his father would return but seeing as his mother now knew about his situation, maybe she would be able to distract him long enough if his father were to come home. He would have to find his mother and ask. Now a time. Hmm…His parents usually retreated to their quarters around 8:30pm, so perhaps, 9pm would work. Since his father cast a spell on the manor to prevent him from leaving the estate, he would have to make it a floo call as much as he hated putting his head in the flames. He would also have to floo from the furthest room from his father too. He couldn't risk being caught out and was very grateful in this moment that the recent bill to pass floo network trackers was denied, so they couldn't be tracked. So, he penned the letter and sent it back with the impatient owl.

He sighed and went to go find his mother. He found her in a sitting area, Evening Prophet in hand and drinking a cup of tea. She glanced up as he walked in.

'Darling. Come. Take a seat. Minky! Ah there you are. Bring Draco a teacup please.'

'Yes mistress.' She popped out and reappeared a moment later, placing the cup and saucer on the table and pouring a cup from the already steaming pot on the table. Then she disappeared again.

Draco sat down in front of his mother, who was entranced by the evening paper.

'Oh dear. Terrible things are happening in Milan. The whole alley just disappeared. Not a soul left in the wreckage.' She said and handed the paper to her son to look at.

'Merlin's beard. How did that happen?' He exclaimed and looked over the article.

'No one knows dear. The muggles are treating it as a bomb explosion. How preposterous.' Narcissa said and took a sip of her tea. He didn't reply. His mother just eyed him and drank her tea. 'Now. What was it you wanted?'

'Oh right. I have a floo call meeting tonight at about 9pm. If father comes home, could you please distract him for me?' He asked.

'Of course, darling. But who could you possibly be floo calling at such an hour?' She asked, a twinkle in her eye.

'Ellie.' He said bluntly.

'I see and why would you be calling Miss Zabini at late hours of the night? A secret rendezvous, perhaps?' She smirked, thoroughly amused by his discomfort.

'No mother. It is strictly business.' He replied.

'Risqué business.' She muttered with a slight chuckle.

'I heard that and since when have you decided to be a comedian?' He huffed.

'Darling. I'm just messing with you. Of course, I will keep your father entertained whilst you talk 'business' with Miss Zabini.' She agreed.

'Thank you, mother.' He replied and took a sip of his cup of tea.

'Now. Tell me. Has the girl gotten any closer to breaking this contract?'

'Not as far as I'm aware. Surely, you must know of something. Didn't you and father have one similar to this?'

'Yes, darling we did. But unfortunately, at the time, neither of us were looking to break it off, so we never looked at it. But our solicitor has the contract and if I go looking for it now, it may raise some suspicion.' She explained. He nodded in response. He was really getting worried that Ellie wouldn't be able to help him and he would have to marry Astoria.

'I'm worried.'

'About what love?' She placed down her teacup.

'About marrying Astoria.' He answered.

'I see. Tell me honestly son. Has Miss Zabini ever let you down?' She asked.

'No.'

'Do you trust her?'

'Yes.'

'Do you think she'll let you down?'

'No.'

'Then stop worrying. She will find a way to help you. I promise.' Narcissa resumed sipping her tea. 'Is that all you wanted?'

'Yes, mother.' He replied. 'No actually. I need the medicinal supplies restocked.'

Narcissa frowned. 'What has my husband done to you?'

'Hah. The question is more what hasn't he done?' Draco joked.

'I don't think the man I married is in there anymore.' She sighed. 'But fine. I'll send an order in with the elves tomorrow morning.'

'Mother. Can I be honest?' He asked. She nodded in reply. 'I know you have the whole pureblood woman can't leave pureblood man in a marriage thing, but the times are changing and perhaps it might be time for a visit to the solicitor.'

'No. Absolutely not. Times may be a changing son, but I will not get a divorce. I will not tarnish the Malfoy or Black name with divorce.' She replied.

'Ok. Ok. It was merely a suggestion.' He took his cup and drank the tea. 'I just hate seeing you hurt.'

'You think I wouldn't leave him if I could? I don't like this but I have a duty to uphold. Something my parents installed in me and I cannot go against it.'

'But mother. What if there was a loophole in your contract? Something to make your marriage invalid. Then would you leave him?' She sat there in contemplation. 'Please. If you can't do it for you, can you at least do it for me?' He was on the verge of begging but he didn't care. He was sick of being bashed to death, he wanted freedom, he needed his freedom.

'Ok. Fine. You've convinced me. I will pay a visit to Mr. Golding tomorrow.' Merlin! He had struck gold. Finally, he got through to her. 'I can't promise anything but I will do this for you. But only because I am concerned about your safety.'

'Thank you, mother.' He sighed in relief. Maybe. Just maybe, he could get his freedom.

'Alright. Well I assume the elves will be preparing dinner. So, I suggest we relocate to the dining room.' She suggested and left the room without waiting for her son.

* * *

It was now 8:55pm and Draco was hanging about the fireplace in the kitchens. He assumed his father wouldn't ever venture down there and the elves were more than happy to accommodate him. His father hadn't returned home that evening, but he could never be too sure. He was looking forward to hearing Ellie's voice again. He missed her. It was strange. If someone had told him he would be enamoured by Granger a couple of years ago, he would've thought they had been spending too much time in the looney bin with Luna Lovegood.

He took a deep breath, grabbed the powder and stuck his head into the fire. A moment later, the dining room of 12 Grimmauld Place appeared.

'Hello?' He said. Suddenly, she was in front of him, joined by Daphne a moment later.

'Draco.' She said with a small smile.

'Drakie poo. How stupendous it is to see you.' Daphne said in a mock Pansy voice.

'Nice to see you too, Daphne. Ugh. Don't ever do that Pansy voice ever again.' He shuddered and both girls giggled. 'How are you girls?'

'Great thanks.' Daphne replied for them both. 'Though the question should be how are you, Draco?'

'Well. Let's just say, I could be better. Father kicks the crap out of me every time he comes home. But at least it is less frequent now.' He replied.

'Lucius is definitely up to something.' Ellie muttered.

'I agree. I'm nearly a hundred percent sure that he is conspiring with the escaped prisoners.' Draco replied. 'How else would they have been getting around with aurors and order members at every turn? They've been doing well in covering up their tracks and we still have no idea what they need with the Misguide.'

'Speaking of the Misguide…' Daphne started. 'Ellie, please explain.'

'Well. Daphne thinks there might be a book in the Greengrass library that has Gwydion's Misguide in it.' Ellie explained. 'We have a plan…'

'Say no more. You want me to go to Greengrass Manor and extract the book. Am I correct?'

'Ah. I knew there was a reason we kept you around.' Daphne joked. 'Told you he's a smart cookie.'

'Yes, Draco. Please, if you wouldn't mind. I know you can't leave the manor right now, but if you explain to your father that you want to see Astoria, he might let you go.' Ellie reasoned.

'If or when he comes back.' He muttered. 'I'm so looking forward to that conversation.' He said, sarcastically.

'What about his mother?' Daphne wondered out loud.

'My mother knows I don't want to marry Astoria.' Draco said.

'Since when?' Daphne questioned.

'Since the beginning apparently.'

'Oh.' Daphne closed her mouth and said nothing else.

'But yeah. I'll see what I can do. How are you going with the marriage contract?' He asked.

'Slowly getting through it. Uh. Well. I may have found something but you are not going to like it.' Ellie replied.

'What? You said no breakthroughs earlier.' Daphne exclaimed.

'I said nothing worth mentioning. There's a difference. But in order for Astoria to call off the marriage, you have to…you have to be sterile.' He could see the light blush on Ellie's cheeks as she said it. She was obviously not comfortable in talking freely about these things, but maybe it was because she hardly knew them. She was right though. He didn't like that idea very much. He had always wanted a child of his own. He always thought he would have a son or a daughter and he would teach them to ride a broomstick or to brew a potion. He wasn't sure he could risk never having a child just to get out of a loveless marriage. It was a shame there wasn't a potion to make him temporarily sterile. He supposed even if there was, it probably could be detected in the blood.

Then he supposed if he couldn't have children, maybe he would be able to adopt. But given his past, he wasn't sure that the wizarding world would allow him to do that. Maybe he could adopt a muggle child. The muggle world wouldn't have a clue who he was and he could easily pass the background checks there. But a muggle child wouldn't have magic and he'd have to learn to live without it. It was just something he wasn't sure he would be capable of doing. There was also the muggle surgery to prevent pregnancy. The vasectomy or whatever. He knew that. But the reversibility was uncertain, the procedure was expensive and he just didn't think it was worth going through. So, he was stuck in this conundrum.

'Draco? Are you ok?' Ellie was staring at him in concern. He looked straight into those honey eyes and he knew right then and there that it wasn't worth the risk. Nothing was worth the risk of losing his chance with her. He wouldn't do that. He couldn't do that. Even if there was not even the slightest chance that they could be together one day.

'Yeah I'm fine. But we'll have to find another way because I will not do that.' He said, firmly.

'Fair enough Draco.' Daphne replied. 'I wouldn't have wanted to do that if I were in your situation either.'

'Ok, well I'll keep looking. Hopefully I will find something.' Ellie said.

'Thank you, Ellie. It means the world to me.' He replied. Suddenly, the whoosh of the floo network alerted him that someone was trying to get through, he didn't waiver though. Whoever it was, would have to wait. The person obviously knew what was happening for he heard a shout in the hallway a moment later. They had apparated instead.

'Excuse me, will you?' Ellie said and left the room.

'So, when are you going to tell her?' Daphne jumped into the attack.

'Tell her what? I don't know what you're talking about.' He replied, defensively.

'Don't play innocent with me Draco. I've known you since forever. I can tell that you like her. Merlin. You probably even love her. I've seen that look before. Theo looks at me like that. Seriously, I should have known during school when you would always go on about her.'

He groaned in frustration. 'Is it that bloody obvious? Do you think she knows?'

'Only to the trained eye. Look I can't tell you if she knows that you like her, but I can tell you she felt something that day you kissed. You won't be able to hide it long if she doesn't already know. She is too smart for that.' Daphne said in a low voice.

'She told you about that kiss?' He asked.

'She sure did.' Daphne giggled.

'Did she tell you anything else?' His heartrate was pounding in his ears, what had she told Daphne? Was it possible she felt the same way about him? He had no idea if there was a god, but sweet Merlin if there was, he was praying to him right now for it to be true.

'All I can say is she is a stubborn girl. But please don't give up on her. She may be the best thing that has ever happened to us Slytherins.' She replied.

He heard voices come into the room. One was Ellie. He knew that for sure. The others sounded suspiciously like the red headed twins who ran the joke shop in Diagon Alley.

'Daphne. Draco. Do you remember Fred and George Weasley?' Ellie asked as they approached.

'Indeed, I do.' Daphne replied. 'You're the ones who set off the portable swamp in the hallway during the year when Umbridge was at Hogwarts.'

'Ah yes. Some of our finest work. Don't you agree Fred?' George turned to his brother.

'Indeed, I do, George. Say Draco, you've got yourself stuck in a fireplace mate. Better look than the ferret I must say though.' Fred turned to see Draco in the fireplace.

'Highly perceptive of you.' He replied in annoyance. As much as he hated to admit that liked the twins, he was not going to show it. 'What are you two doing here?'

'Ah. Always the straight to the point kind of person. Never liked that. Reminds me too much of Percy.' Fred replied.

'Come on Fred. Just spit it out already.' Ellie said in annoyance. Good. He wasn't the only one who got fed up by the twin's antics.

'Yes. Well. You know the happenings in Milan?' They nodded in response.

'Well. A man came into our shop earlier today. He looked and behaved exactly like the guy Hagrid described a few weeks ago.' George continued.

'So, we sat and observed him for a bit. After about five minutes, one of our workers approached him. He got nervous and started to back away. That's when he reached the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. Throwing it at their face, he took off out into the alley.' Fred explained.

'When we did the stocktake for the day, we realised he had stolen one of my Compendium Boxes of Pyrotechtrix.' George finished.

'Fireworks? Why would he want fireworks?' Daphne asked.

'Distraction possibly?' Ellie wondered out loud and everyone's eyes were on her. 'Well this guy is obviously working for the death eaters. He is probably going to use them as a distraction for whatever they are up to.'

'So, what's this got to do with Milan?' Draco asked.

'Well, you see. A map fell out of this guy's pocket as he fled the shop. It was a map of Milan with the café entrance circled.' George replied.

'No way. George you need to tell Harry.' Ellie exclaimed.

'That's what we intended to do when we came here but he obviously isn't here.' Fred explained.

'No. I believe Harry will still be in Milan. But if you stop by the auror after hours office, he'll probably come straight back.' Ellie replied.

'Yeah righto. See you three then. Can't be out long. Angelina will throttle me.' Fred said. George mocked a whip sound which earnt him a punch in his gut before they both left the room. The other three sat in silence for a moment before Daphne spoke again.

'So, who do you think is the suspicious blond-haired man?'

* * *

**Well Happy New Year everyone! Have a great 2020. :) **


	23. Leaps of Faith and Leads

**Chapter 22**

* * *

**(Draco POV)**

His father had returned that morning and he honestly felt a bit queasy at the prospect of a confrontation. Especially one that he one hundred percent didn't want to do. But he was doing it for the wizarding world. Swallowing hard and taking a deep breath, he entered his father's study.

'What the hell are you doing in here?' The blond man looked up from his newspaper as he walked in.

_Don't lose the courage now. Don't be a coward. _

'Father. I've been thinking. Perhaps, I should spend more time with Astoria. After all, she is going to be my wife, is she not?' He said in a formal manner.

'My, my, your attitude has improved. Well perhaps that can be arranged then. I will send the elves for her.'

'NO! I mean, don't you think it would be better to get to know her in her childhood home, really extract the essence of her life?' He muttered, almost gagging at the words that were coming out of his mouth. He watched the man in front of him frown and could anticipate the sweat pooling underneath his armpits. He uttered the cooling charm on himself so his father wouldn't suspect. After another few gruelling minutes, he stood up and laughed. Draco nearly pooped in his pants. Here he was talking about a serious matter and the man had the audacity to laugh. Not a normal laugh either. A real guttural laugh. What the hell was he playing at? Draco felt bile coming up his throat but he swallowed it back down. There was no time for that. Maybe later. Lucius circled the table and pulled him into a hug. He tried not to flinch at the contact but he was seriously concerned that he was going to die. After a moment, Lucius pulled back and went back to his desk.

'Brilliant. Absolutely marvellous idea. I will send the elves to inform Norman and Astoria that you will be arriving shortly. But I have placed the trace on you so if this is a hoax and you try to run, I will know where you are. It will lift once you get to Hogwarts.' Lucius replied. Oh, so that was what the awkward hug was about. How could he have been so foolish? But he supposed either way, he was in this trap. 'Why the hell are you still here boy? I have very important matters to deal with and you have a wife to beat…' He coughed. 'I mean see.' He gestured for him to leave and he sighed a breath of relief once he was outside.

Dawdling back to his room, he began collecting his belongings and putting them in his trunk. At least he wasn't confined to this house anymore. But that also meant dealing with his spoilt future wife.

_Better her than your father._

He couldn't argue with that. He decided to compose a letter to Ellie in the hopes that she would be glad that he was making progress.

_Erin,  
I have managed to succeed the first of my tasks. Wish me luck. If you don't receive an owl from me within a week, send in the rescue squad.  
Damien xx_

He called for Aquilla and the tawny owl took the letter from him almost immediately knowing who it was for.

'Hah. Smart bird.' He said as she flew off.

'I assume Eleanora put you up to this?' He jumped when he heard the voice.

'Mother. What makes you say Ellie had anything to do with this?' He asked.

'Your owl, silly. You just sent a letter. The only letters you ever send are to either her or Blaise. Lately, just her.' Narcissa smirked and glided elegantly into the room.

'Mother, how do you know…you've been reading my mail? Can't a man get any privacy?' He groaned and placed a photograph of him and his mother into his trunk.

'Now, now son. Nothing to be embarrassed about. Besides, I find it rather charming that she's become your pen pal. I may only know what you've told me about her before the war, but I dare say all the animosity has been lost. I do believe, I would quite like to meet her.' She rambled with a glint of hope in her eyes.

'Yes, all well and good mother. But she is under house arrest in the Black house and I'm currently very busy.' Draco muttered, blushing a little at the underlying meaning in her words.

'Oh dear. You do forget that I am a Black and that was my childhood home. I could very easily find my way in, even if Potter has his protection charms. Who said you even had to be there?'

'Mother. I promise you will meet her someday, but please can it be on my terms?' He suggested.

'Alright. Fine. I won't go and see her.' She conceded. 'So, I assume there is a reason for you going to see Astoria.'

'Yes, but I can not tell you any of the details.' He mumbled in response as he placed the last of it in his trunk.

'Alright darling. But do be careful. Norman Greengrass is a very astute man. It won't take much for him to figure out what you are up to. Make sure your plan is full-proof.' The woman pulled her son into a hug. 'I love you, Draco.'

'I love you too mother.' He replied. 'Don't worry, I have a plan.' He shrunk his trunk and put it in his pocket and turned to leave. But before he exited the room, he turned back to her. 'Please take care of yourself.'

She smiled but didn't respond and so he left her to go to the floo network in the ballroom.

* * *

Without a delay, he threw some floo powder in and shouted 'Greengrass Manor'. He landed with a puff of soot surrounding him. 'Merlin, when was the last time this was cleaned?'

'The summer of 92. I believe.' He looked up at the voice. 'I do apologise my boy; we shall get that squared away immediately. Scourgify. Now. Welcome. Astoria is in the library, doing lord knows what. Probably reading soppy romance novels. Why don't you go and join her?' Norman Greengrass suggested, ushering him away as quickly as possible. He could sense some urgency in his voice and couldn't help but wonder what had caused his frantic steering away from the ballroom. Once he was out of the room and out of Senior Greengrass' sight, he creeped back towards the door which had been left slightly ajar. What he wouldn't do for an invisibility cloak at this moment. He slunk behind the door and snuck a glance inside the ballroom. He had expected to see Greengrass alone, however, there was another man inside the room with him.

'A bit risky don't you think sir?' A familiar voice that Draco couldn't place came from inside the room.

'You dare insinuate that I do not know what I am doing boy?' Norman seethed. Whoever the now young man was, he was going to be in trouble soon.

'No. Not at all sir. It's just you know what the Golden Trio is like…they'd sniff it out like bloodhounds.' There was a sudden smack and the boy whimpered, Draco winced too. It sounded like it hurt.

'Those blasted children never knew how to stay out of the law. But they will not succeed. Not this time. We have something that they don't.' Norman said angrily.

'What's that sir?'

'Not now boy. In time, if you are good you will learn our secrets. But for now, you will do what we say or your precious family will know the consequences.' Norman chuckled; Draco shuddered. So, Mr. Greengrass was definitely in on the deatheaters plan and he had manipulated someone – no blackmailed someone into doing their bidding. He wondered if he had anything to do with the attack in Milan. He needed to find out more.

'What of Draco? Your future son in law.' The boy asked. Draco's interest piqued. Was he being thrown under the bus?

'What of him? He is in no way attached to this.' Norman raised his voice.

'I wouldn't be so sure sir. He has a connection to the Zabini girl. Or as we used to know her as Miss Granger.' He replied.

'Is that so? And what kind of connection do you think that may be?' Norman queried.

'I wouldn't have a clue sir. Their past is nothing but hostility but since she is now pureblood and his best friend's twin sister, there could be problems. I would advise you to be careful. You know how dangerous Granger is to your operation.'

'Perhaps you are right. I will work hard to ensure he stays in his place. But for now, you will go and do as you are told, imperio!' Draco was seething. How dare this guy, whoever he was, throw him under the bus. Now he had to tread extra carefully. Maybe he could sneak another glance to see who the snitch was, but he heard the floo go off and he knew the guy was gone. He heard movement inside the room and quickly rushed to hide around the corner. Norman entered the foyer and ascended the stairs and to the left. Good. So, he wasn't heading towards the library. It was time to find what he came for. Creeping out of his hiding place, he walked silently up the stairs towards the library. If ever he was disillusioned by the amount of work he had cut out for him, it would be now. The Greengrass library was unlike anything he had seen before. The old Victorian style library stood about four floors high and had bookcase upon bookcase stacked with all kinds of books imaginable. He walked to the first shelf on his right and noticed a lot of the books there were ones that had been discontinued from production for various reasons. A lot of them seemed quite ancient as well. He sighed. It was going to be a long day and night.

Looking around the rows, he began to notice a categorisation system emerge. There were shelves of healing potions books, Quidditch Law, Charms, Wand-lore and practically everything else. He moved his way around the library and came to a secluded corner on the third floor. The dark shelves were littered with books pertaining to what he assumed were dark objects. The titles on the covers had long since faded however, the yellowing pages still held their original print. Upon reading the book, he had never heard of any of the objects mentioned. He kept his search of the shelves but nothing seemed to have any mention of a Gwydion's Misguide.

Annoyed that his search was quickly becoming futile, he angrily made his way to the final floor of the library. Upon reaching the floor however, he quickly slid in behind a nearby shelf. He saw Astoria, who was sitting at a desk, and was reading – wait a minute, was she reading her year six transfiguration textbook? He shook his head in shock. He never in a million years believed that Astoria Greengrass would be reading her textbook before school time. Shaking the thought from his head, he walked silently around, avoiding Astoria as much as he could and searched the exorbitant number of books in front of him. When he exhausted the supply, he sat down in the middle of the shelves and opened the book he had collected from the third floor again. Flipping through the book, he tried to find the misguide but it was of no use. There was no mention of it anywhere. He sighed in frustration which he immediately regretted for he had blown his cover.

'Hello? Who's there?' Astoria asked. 'Mum? Dad? Is that you?' She rounded the corner into his hiding place. 'DRACO! What are you doing here?' He was tackled from his sitting position to a lying position to the floor by the girl. 'I've missed you.' He groaned and inwardly vomited. He plastered on as much believable energy as possible and replied.

'I came to see you. We've still got a lot to plan.' Damn it, Draco, why did you say that?

'Oh. I'm so glad. You can help me with the décor. I was thinking a royal blue theme. What do you reckon?'

'Tori. Can we not do this now? I only just got here.'

'Ah. Sorry. Ok. Well, did you want me to show you to your room then?' She asked. 'What were you reading?' She picked up his discarded book. 'Obscene Forgotten Objects? Now why in the world would you read something like that?'

'Ah for fun, I guess.' He replied lamely.

'Draco Malfoy, your idea of fun is not very fun at all.' She whined and helped him stand. 'Did you bring me anything?' She asked, a hopeful puppy dog eyed look in her eyes. What a spoiled brat, he thought.

'Ah. Yes. But it's a surprise.' He lied. 'You've got to go to your room and I will go and get it.' He said.

'Oh, I love surprises. I hope my Drakie Wakie bought me something good.' He nearly puked right then and there. Drakie Wakie? Merlin, it was a Pansy Parkinson situation again.

'Oh yeah. It's really good. Now go on, or you won't get your surprise.' He said.

'Ok then. You had better come soon though. I'll die if you keep me waiting.' She said and ran off towards her room. Ugh, she was so childish. But he had better think of something fast. He suddenly got it. He ran as fast as he could to the floo network. The only place he could go was home but that was where he needed to go and flooed home.

* * *

'Minky!' He yelled.

'Yes, Master Draco, sir. What can I do for you?' The little elf asked.

'I need you to get me the pearl necklace heirloom of Aunt Bellatrix's please.'

'Yes sir. Right away sir. Anything you say sir.' She popped out. Wait. Did his personal elf just start speaking like the Zabini elves? No. Focus Draco. It doesn't matter right now.

The elf reappeared a moment later with the black box and he thanked her before re-flooing to the Greengrass mansion.

* * *

He made his way to Astoria's bedroom and knocked on the door. It flung open after the second knock.

'What took you so long? I'm dying to know what you got me.' She pulled him into her room. It was an awful combination of teal and terracotta brushed up against blackwood furniture. The worst was the fuzzy pink carpets over the usual beautiful hardwood floors. The room had so much going on it gave Draco a headache. 'So, are you going to show me?' She pouted, placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. He handed her the black box and she squealed in delight making him flinch and step back a little. He hoped this would appease her. He didn't want to give her any of the precious heirlooms so he suspected his deranged Aunt's would do the trick. His mother never cared for her sister's jewellery anyway. Judging by her room, Astoria would love it. It had that same warped style that she seemed to adore.

Astoria opened the box and another shriek left her mouth. If she didn't stop doing that, Draco was sure he'd be deaf before he even turned nineteen. 'Oh Draco, it's wonderful. Could you please put it on me?' She asked and he obliged. She went to observe in her mirror and he took the chance to back out of the room slowly when she wasn't looking. 'WHERE ARE YOU GOING?' She suddenly yelled at him demonically. 'You don't just give me a wonderful gift and then run off, what the hell is your problem?' She came across the room and pulled him to sit on her bed. He politely obeyed but he was officially scared of this woman now. One minute she was at most tolerable and the next she'd rip you to shreds. He was sure he'd be murdered by her if they did get married. He dreaded the thought of what would happen if he did break the contract. He gulped and made up an excuse.

'Please Tori. I need to go to the bathroom.' He lied.

'Well, why didn't you say so?' She replied and went back to looking at herself in the mirror. 'Go then. I'll see you later. I'm just going to admire myself with the necklace on.' He didn't have to be told twice. He sprinted away from that room and called for a house-elf to direct him to his room. The house-elf, whose name he found was Dana, gladly showed him to his room which ended up being a suite. He took his trunk out of his pocket and enlarged it again, opening it and pulling out some parchment. It was going to be difficult to send a letter to Ellie now that he was here. He wished he had brought Aquilla. But he knew that would've been next to impossible. But instead, he just wrote all his findings down.

_Greengrass part of plan_

_It is a weapon _

_Familiar young man involved ~ Under imperius curse ~ Possible family hostage situ._

He stowed the parchment at the bottom of his trunk and fell onto his bed with a frustrated sigh. His life was getting so complicated. First, he was abused by his father and then forced into a loveless engagement/marriage contract. He then finds out he has bloody feelings for his best friend's sister and possibly always had and now he was part of the order and trying to stop the bad guys. There was also something thrown in about prophecies but he didn't even want to go there right now. Ugh, his headache was getting worse. How did Potter, Weasley and Ellie handle all this stress all the time? He would never know. Sighing again, he closed his eyes and let the thought of Ellie lull him to sleep.

* * *

**(Blaise POV)**

Potter had interrogated them for about an hour and then kept them around to see if they could find any clues. But they had found absolutely nothing. Luckily the supposed disappearance hadn't broken the disillusionment charm on the alley to muggles. Otherwise the obliviation department would have to have been called in. They had no leads apart from the threats made at the ministry and the break-out from Azkaban. It was a dead end. So, in the end Potter had let them go, unable to find a reason for them to stay.

Upon arriving back at the Zabini Manor, Theo had sprung on him that he would be leaving that night to return to England. He had assumed that the man would do so as he could barely part from his beloved girlfriend. Now as they stood at the edge of the floo, rain pouring down outside, he couldn't help but feel like he once had during the war when life was uncertain. One wrong move and your life could be erased without a hesitation. He pulled Theo into a hug.

'Hey…what's this about mate?' He asked in shock but returned the hug, nevertheless. Blaise pulled back.

'Stay safe mate. You know exactly what these people are like. I want both you and Daphne to take care of yourselves. Also say hi to my sister. Let her know that I am ok.' Blaise explained. Theo put a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder.

'You saw her this afternoon Blaise. She'll be fine. She knows you're ok. I'll see you at school alright?' Theo smiled and removed his hand and stepped into the fireplace. 'Take care of yourself mate. They could target you as well.'

'I will.' Without a moment more hesitation, Theo flooed back to England and Blaise suddenly felt more alone than ever. He sighed and made his way to his parent's study where he knew they would be. He knocked on the door and heard his mother grant his entry.

'Blaise! I thought you and Theo were out? Where is he by the way?' Valentina asked.

'Theo has gone back to England. It is just the three of us now.' He replied.

'And Eleanora? Did you see her?' Roberto chimed in.

'I did, padre. She sends her love.' Blaise sank down on the nearest chair.

'Oh. So, what is wrong my son?' Roberto looked over his glasses at him, rubbing his chin.

'I fear for Ellie and her friends. I fear for Draco. I fear for Isobel. We're not even six months out of the last war and we have to relive the suffering again. You weren't there madre e padre. It was just a giant stack of rubble. Not a single soul was found. Do you know what that means? It's possible hundreds of lives were lost today. That's not the worst of it. It is the ever-traumatising hope that your loved ones could still be alive but never truly knowing if they are that gets me. I don't know what I would do if I lost my friends. I don't know what I'd do if I lost my sister or even you that way. I'm beginning to see that Theo is right. It is not safe for us to be here. Everyone knows where we live and lord knows the protective spells wouldn't protect us for very long. We need to leave. Now. Before they get to us.'

'But figlio…' His mother began to argue.

'Don't you get it mamma? Ellie is part of the Golden Trio. Everyone knows that we are her only family now. We are prime targets too. We need to go into hiding.' He shouted.

'Now. Son. Please. Just listen to me. We have very important business deals that we must attend to and we can't just up and leave. You must understand how important it is in our society.'

'Yes papa, I do understand but this is your lives we are talking about here.' Blaise retorted.

'We are aware our lives are in danger and are very grateful to Mr. Potter for putting up our protection spells. We recently invested in…what is it again darling?' The senior Zabini trailed off.

'A wizarding estate security cell love.'

'Ah yes. A wizarding estate security cell which has been activated over the entire estate and can only be deactivated by my voice. Apparently, it is based of some muggle technology. I do believe Arthur Weasley was right about those muggles. Quite ingenious.' His parents both nodded in agreement.

'But that's not exactly full proof.' Blaise complained. He sighed. 'Can I at least show you the catacombs?'

'The catacombs? My dear boy, what on earth are you talking about?' Roberto replied in confusion.

'Follow me.' He gestured for his parents to follow and they made their way down to the statue of Great Aunt Henrietta. He pushed the stone to the side and heard an audible gasp from behind him.

'How on earth did you find this place?' His mother cried.

'Playing hide and seek with Draco as a boy.' He replied. 'Lumos. Come on then.' They made their way down the steps into the old tunnel passageways.

'Absolutely incredible. I had heard of the historical passageways that were under the estate but had no idea that they still existed. You know after the wars and such.' His father explained.

'Only the main tunnel still exists, the others were wiped out during the war. This one leads to the cellar of the brewery. So, if you ever need a back way to escape or just somewhere to hide, this is your safest bet.' He said.

'So, what are you going to do, Blaise?' His mother asked. 'Stay here or go back to England?'

'Well. I…'

'Hello? Is there anyone here?' He was interrupted.

'Isobel? What is she doing here?' He asked to no one in particular. Abandoning his parents, he went to greet his future wife. He found her on the second landing.

'Blaise? Where have you been?' She asked. 'I've been calling for like five minutes.'

'Sorry. I was showing my parents something important.' He replied truthfully. 'What are you doing here?' She suddenly ran into his arms crying and he felt overwhelmed. What had happened? 'Hey…shhh…Isobel. Please. Tell me what's wrong.'

She spoke through her sobs. 'It's…my…family. They…were…in the…Milan attack. They're gone Blaise.' He stood there in shock. Hadn't he just been speaking about that? That their families weren't safe, their best bet was to go into hiding.

'Oh, my dear. What seems to be the problem?' Valentina ascended the stairs and rushed to their aid, Roberto following behind.

'It's her family. They were caught in the Milan attack.' Blaise explained. 'You see what I mean now?' He sneered. She glared at him and extracted the poor red-haired witch from his arms and wrapped her arms around her.

'Come now dear. We will get you cleaned up. Jinx, Sandy.' The two elves appeared. 'Please make a room for Isobel.' She said.

'Yes mistress. Right away mistress. Anything you say mistress. Would Miss Isobel like a room close to Master Blaise?'

'Anywhere is fine.' The girl said.

'Yes, young miss. Right away miss. Anything you say miss.' The two elves disappeared and Valentina guided the girl towards the guest wing with Blaise looking on in longing. He wished he could alleviate his girl's pain but there was no way he could as far as he was aware.

'Now, son. I want to hear no more talk of this leaving. You hear me. You can leave and go into hiding if you want. But your mother and I will not be going with you. But if you know your standing, you will stay here with your future wife.' Roberto brushed past him and went up the stairs. Blaise groaned. He was only trying to do what was best for his family. Why couldn't they see that?

Frustrated, he stalked back to his room and flopped onto his bed, his discarded Macbeth play lay beside him. He rolled over and picked up the book and began reading it again from the scene he had left off.

* * *

A few hours later and he had finished the entire play. He wasn't sure how to feel about it. A man wanted to gain a worthless title so much that he would kill the people in his way to get it. It sounded much like what had happened in their lives. Hadn't Voldemort killed so many people to reach his 'ideal' world? In the end the good had outlawed the evil. However, the evil threatened to re-emerge and had done so today. He sighed and got up to look out his window. His future wife had lost almost everything today. He was pretty sure his family was all she had left. All her grandparents had been murdered at the hand of Yaxley in the first war. Her parents had been lucky that they had been at the hospital giving birth to her and her sister at the time.

He suddenly felt hands snake around him and it was as if thinking about her had conjured her out of thin air.

'Hey Blaise, what are you thinking about?' She asked.

'You. Well. Everyone in my life right now.' He replied.

'Your mother told me about what you said.' She turned him around in her arms and he could now hold her.

'And you probably think I'm a fool.' He mused and looked down.

She placed her hand on his cheek and he looked back into her eyes. 'I don't think you are a fool. I agree with you.'

'You think we should leave and go into hiding somewhere?' He quirked an eyebrow. She agreed with him.

'Yes. As much as I love the comforts of a mansion, it puts us in a targetable position. Especially since your sister is the whole brains behind the Golden Trio situation. How is Hermione, uh I mean Ellie anyway?' She asked.

'Ellie is good. She hates being locked up though.' He sighed.

'I can only imagine. She was never the type to sit around and do nothing. Although, I suppose that's what we'd be doing if we leave. I hate leaving your parents though, can we convince them to come as well?' She replied.

'I tried love. They are too stubborn. But they've got all the protection they need if they do happen upon some danger. They do have wands remember.' He said and kissed her forehead. 'We'll have to decide where to go but I'll have to let Potter know that I am leaving my post.' He covered his mouth; he had said too much.

'Harry? What have you been up to?' She pulled out of their embrace. Well the cat was out of the bag now. He might as well tell the girl.

'I'm working for Harry. I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on things in Italy for him. In terms of the threats that have been happening at the ministry and the escaped death eaters. Not to mention the whole thing with the prophecies and a weapon they have.' He explained.

'Whoa. Back up. Please start at the beginning.' She frowned and sat on his bed. He smirked. In pureblood society that would've never flied. The fiancée would never be allowed to sit on the bed of her partner. However, the man was allowed to sit on her bed. It was a stupid rule that was sexist and made no sense. That's why he was glad he was marrying a half-blood. No stupid pureblood rules. Well apart from the actual marriage part. He came and sat beside her.

'It all started with a prophecy that was told by Theo. Then another by Daphne. Apparently, they are in the covenant of seers. Anyway, the prophecy foretold….' He then continued to tell her the entire story of how the prophecies came to be, how all four of them (Theo, Daphne, Draco and himself) joined the order, to where they found out about Gwydion's Misguide and how they had no leads as to what it's use may be. Once he was done, she sat and contemplated all that he said. He could understand if it was hard to process as he was finding it difficult himself. After a moment, she came to a conclusion.

'Blaise, I want to join the order.' She said.

'You, what?' That wasn't what he expected at all.

'You heard me. I want to join the order. I want to help. Look, I have a knack for history and herbal medicine. Please just let me help. I want to know what happened to my family and I want to help fight whatever caused the attack.' She said, pointedly.

'Well. You'll have to take it up with Harry…'

'Great. We'll go and see him then.' She replied, pulling him to a standing position. 'Pack your stuff hon, we're leaving.'

'But I can't just abandon my post.' He argued.

'Shh…Harry is still going to be in Milan tonight. So, we go and visit him at the site. That way you wouldn't be abandoning your post at all.' She kissed him on the cheek.

'Oh, good thinking.' He agreed.

'Of course, it was good thinking. Someone has to be the smart one in the relationship.' She poked her tongue out at him and giggled. 'Alright now, love. Get packing.'

He moved around packing all his essentials and his new school robes and supplies into his trunk before shrinking it to fit in his pocket. He then left a note for his parents and they side-apparated within the hour.

* * *

Upon arrival at the site, they asked an auror where they could find Harry and he told him an address of a swish hotel down the road. Walking hand in hand, they approached the hotel. It was a moonlit night and many couples were walking down the street. Blaise thought it was quite a romantic neighbourhood and couldn't help but notice how well they meshed into the surroundings. Suddenly, they were in front of the hotel. Monochrome letters across the front of the building spelt Bulgari Hotel Milano. From memory, he believed it cost upwards of six-hundred British pounds to stay a night. Being Potter sure had its benefits. They walked in and approached the reception desk.

'Ciao. How may I help you?' The receptionist's Italian accent was thick.

'We are friends of a Mr. Harry Potter and we would like to see him. Could you please tell us what room he may be staying in?' Isobel took the reins and he was pleasantly surprised by her as most girls would've waited for him to do something.

'Ah yes. Let's see.' She typed on her computer. 'He is on the fourth floor, staying in the Premium Suite. Could I please get your contact information just in case there is an emergency? Sorry, hotel protocol.' The lady asked. Isobel ratted off what Blaise assumed was a phone number and her name and the lady then turned to him.

'Oh, don't worry about him. He'll never leave my side.' Isobel explained.

'Ok. Here's a guest card for the elevator. You can go right on up.' She replied.

'Thank you.' Isobel replied and dragged him towards the elevator. She swiped the card, pressed the button and the door immediately opened and they got in. She pressed the number four, the door closed and the elevator lurched upwards. It stopped at floor three and another man came into the elevator wearing nothing but a bathrobe and fluffy slippers. The moment he stepped in, the entire aura in the space changed. All that was missing was the awkward music. However, as if on cue it started to play. Blaise was thankful when the elevator screeched to a stop on the fourth floor and they got out. There was a map of the suites on the floor in front of them. 'Ok, according to this map, the Premium Suite is at the end of this hallway and to the right. Come on, Blaise.'

They made it down the hallway and knocked on the door of the Premium Suite. Harry answered the door a moment later.

'Hello. Blaise? What are you doing here?' He asked.

'We have something that we would like to discuss with you.' He replied.

'You had better come in then.' He gestured for them to enter and they all sat down in the luxurious sitting area. The room was cladded with beautiful wooden walls and plush and woven furniture. Expensive décor pieces littered the room. 'What would you like to discuss?'

'I wish to terminate my post here, for now.' Blaise jumped in.

'Ah. Why's that?' Harry asked.

'We feel that Blaise's life may be at risk if he were to stay where he is now, Harry.' Isobel replied.

'Ah. I don't mean to be rude but who exactly are you?' Harry looked sheepishly at the red head girl in front of him.

'Oh, how silly of me. Of course, you wouldn't know who I am. I am Isobel MacDougal and I am a Ravenclaw from your year at school. It's nice to meet you.' She stuck her hand out for him to shake. He did so politely.

'Nice to meet you too, Isobel. So, why are you here with Blaise?' He asked.

'I'm Blaise's fiancée.' She replied. Harry restrained his eyes from baulking.

'Ok. So, tell me more about why you want to leave? You said Blaise's life is in danger?' Harry asked like the auror he was quickly becoming.

'Ellie is my sister. If I continue to stay, they could potentially kidnap me and use me as bait. Either that or kill me and my parents.' Blaise looked Harry right in the eyes, the man knew he was right.

'So, you want sanctuary. I see. Well permission is granted for you both at my place. Ellie, Daphne and Theo are already well acquainted there. I will get someone to cover your post for you.' He offered. 'Is that all you wanted?' He quirked his eyebrow at the couple in front of him.

'No. You see Harry. I want to join the order.'

* * *

**There is Chapter 22. It's been a while. I've been incredibly busy with a lot of other important projects though. Hope you've enjoyed this chapter. I can't say when the next one will be up. Until next time. Zozo :) **


	24. Buildups and Breakthroughs

**Chapter 23**

* * *

**(Harry POV)**

'You want to join the order?' He quirked his eyebrow. 'Do you understand just how much danger you would be getting into?'

'Yes. I do. My life is already in danger by association with the Zabini family. You could find my assistance very useful. I have extensive knowledge of herbal medicines, I'm pretty good at charms and hexes and I have quite a knack for history. Harry, my entire family, everyone who I loved were caught in the Milan attack. I have nothing left to lose. I want to help and this is the best way I can.' She replied.

He sat and contemplated the passionate woman in front of him. Perhaps he should let her join. Afterall, they would need all the help they could get. She had said she was a Ravenclaw. She could be quite a useful person to have on board. But could he trust her? He had no background on this woman. He had no idea who she was, who her family were, where their associations lied. Perhaps he should use Veritaserum on her. He did have a small bottle of the liquid in his bag. He never knew when he was going to need it. But it was seriously all he had going for him at the moment.

'Alright. I will need to put you through a course of Veritaserum first and then if you pass, you will have to take the oath to the cause.' Harry replied, walking over to his bag and pulling out the potion vial.

'But Harry. You didn't put any of us through the course of Veritaserum. Why her?' Blaise asked.

'I'm sorry, Blaise.I don't like doing this but you must understand that since I don't have any background on Isobel, I have to take this precaution. I hope you don't mind Isobel. It won't be too gruelling, just a few questions about your family and core values.' He said calmly to the girl. He didn't want to frighten her. She could be a key player in this fight. The prophecies did state that there was another person who would join their fight. Perhaps she was the reason and person they'd been looking for.

'Go right ahead Harry. I have nothing to hide.' She replied as he handed her the vial of potion. She took the potion and placed the vial down on the coffee table in front of her.

'Ok Blaise, ask her something that you know the truthful answer.' Harry ordered.

'Are you the person responsible for the Ravenclaw first year prank fiasco during our fourth year?'

'Yes. I was the one who played those pranks.' She replied.

'Wait. I heard about that. Seriously? That was you? I thought it was Fred and George.' Harry was surprisingly impressed by this woman that he hardly knew.

The first-year prank fiasco had been a series of pranks that had been strategically played throughout the course of their fourth year, also the year of the Triwizard Tournament on the first years. The targets had predominantly been on Ravenclaws but some had even branched out to Slytherin, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff house. A lot of them had involved charmed objects following students around and potions that had done various things. He distinctly remembered one morning when the entire first year cohort had turned up to the Great Hall for breakfast with bright, fluorescent hair colours. Even Malfoy had somehow ended up with bright green hair that morning. Which was why he had thought it had been the Weasley twins.

Being reminded of this event now, he wondered what other things did he not know about this woman? He supposed it shouldn't have been that surprising that he didn't know much about her, given that he was so focused on defeating Voldemort amongst other things. He hadn't really bothered getting to know people in the other houses apart from the ones in the DA.

'Yes. Fred and George weren't the only ones who could play a mean prank.' She replied. 'Can we get on with this?'

'Ah yeah, sorry. What is your full name and blood status?' Harry asked after a minute.

'Isobel Sofia MacDougal.' She replied. 'Half-blood.'

'Who is your fiancé?' He asked.

'Blaise Zabini.'

'Who are your parents and their occupations?'

'Lionel and Sandra MacDougal. My father works in the Department of Mysteries as an unspeakable. My mother owns a high-end fashion photography business in muggle London.' She replied.

'Do you have siblings?' He continued.

'My twin sister, Morag.' She replied. 'Also, a Ravenclaw.'

'Where do you stand on blood supremacy?' He suddenly brought out the big guns.

'I'm one hundred percent against it. No one's blood is better than another's. Hermione Granger is living proof of that.' She answered confidently.

'And what are your family's views on it?'

'The same as mine. Morag and I both stayed for the Battle of Hogwarts, we fought alongside you despite our mother's worst fears. Our father fought hard from within the ministry to protect it.'

'Was there anyone in your family who dabbled with the dark arts? Or were affiliated with death eaters.' Harry said his final question, relieved she was answering every single one with a good response.

'My great-great uncle Aidan MacDougal did have a past working in Borgin and Burkes but apart from that no. I believe his wife threatened to leave him if he didn't quit so he did. We were told it was just for monetary purposes.'

'Ah. So, your family struggles with money?'

'Potter. If I may interrupt. How the hell is that relevant?' Blaise snarled.

'Many families went to the dark side on the false promise of great wealth within Voldemort's new order, Blaise. I am making sure that she will not fall privy to those pretences.' Harry replied calmly. Why the hell was he being so seventeenth century? Merlin, he must have been tired. But the other two didn't bat an eye at it so he continued. 'Now go-ahead Isobel.'

'If you are asking if Aidan went to the dark side on the promise that he'd be promised great wealth, you'd be sorely mistaken. Our family has a great history of not being associated with anything illegal. We are practically off the grid in that respect. However, we are quite well off actually, given that the ministry pays well and my mother's business is booming. It was only previous generations that suffered during the recession period.' Isobel clarified.

'You seem to know a bit about history.' Harry then asked. 'Why is that?'

'History was my favourite class during Hogwarts. I know Professor Binns could be a bit of a drag sometimes but some of the events he talked about were actually interesting. Like the Ogre wars and that unit on Welsh Mythology back in year two. I love to study history.'

'Thank you for that Isobel. Your knowledge of history may be able to assist us in our investigations. I've got all that I need to hear for now.' Harry said. 'We'll move straight onto the oath. Blaise if you will.' He gestured for Blaise to hold out his wand on her hand, much like Ellie had done for Draco.

'Isobel, I will need you to look into my eyes and not look away for this. Only answer with I solemnly swear to do so. Or I am. Got it?' Blaise ordered and gently picked up her hand, pointing his wand at it and staring into her eyes.

'Go ahead Blaise. I'm ready.' She nodded. He coughed a little and then said very clearly.

'Do you, Isobel MacDougal, pledge your allegiance to the light side and promise to provide any information that may support the cause?'

'I solemnly swear to do so.' She replied. A burst of yellow light sprung from his wand onto her arm.

'Do you pledge to tell us the truth and to not betray our trust?' He continued.

'I solemnly swear to do so.' She replied, sending another spark of energy onto her arm.

'Do you promise to do all in your power to protect those on the light side, if any harm shall try to befall them?' He asked.

'I solemnly swear to do so.'

'Do you accept that you are fully aware of the extent of consequences that will behold you should you betray this oath?'

'I am.' Another shot of energy. She smiled at him and Harry was simply blown away by the amount of chemistry these two had. They only had to look into each other's eyes and it sent out the 'I want you' vibes. He shivered not really wanting that image in his head.

'Isobel MacDougal has pledged her allegiance to the light side and if she betrays the trust, she will be cursed for eternity.' He declared, sending one more shot of energy into her arm before removing his wand and letting go of her hand.

The couple looked back to Harry who had been watching the couple all the time in interest. They hadn't done anything remotely romantic but he couldn't help but sense the strong attraction between them. When they had gazed into each other's eyes as Isobel pledged herself to the cause, he swore he saw fireworks. When Harry hadn't said anything for a while, the couple blushed and he inwardly chuckled. Blaise Zabini had just blushed in the presence of Harry Potter, his sworn mortal enemy. Although, now that Zabini was the brother of Hermione/Ellie, he supposed he should get more used to that idea. A knock came at the door.

'Bloody hell. Who is it now?' Harry grumbled and got the door.

'Fred. George. What's the news?' He invited the twins in. 'You remember Blaise and this is his fiancé Isobel.'

'Blimey. Isobel, haven't seen you in an age.' Fred said. 'Did you say fiancé?'

'Yes.' Harry replied. 'Just go with it.' He said under his breath.

'Still playing pranks on first years?' George asked her.

'Afraid not. Playing pranks on first years is so fourth year.' She winked at the twins to say that she was lying.

'Ah. Tis a shame.' George replied.

'Could've given us a run for our money if you really tried.' Fred winked at her, to tell her that they were on to her. 'Although Mr. Filch would've been a better target. Or perhaps even Malfoy. Although Malfoy with green hair was a great touch.'

'Touche.' She replied.

'I see, we don't need any introductions then.' Harry chuckled and gestured for the twins to join them. 'So, what brings you here?' They handed him the map they found with the shop entrance circled. He looked up at them with confusion. 'A map of the disappearance sight? What would I do with that?'

'The man who owned this map came into our shop today.' Fred said. 'He stole one of George's fireworks boxes but dropped this map when he ran out.'

'He looked exactly the way Hagrid described the man in the Hog's Head.' George replied. 'We didn't get a good look at him though, so we couldn't tell you who he was.'

'But with a map like that, he'd nearly one hundred percent have to be linked to the incident.' Blaise chimed in.

'Our sentiments exactly.' The twins said in unison.

'I will get Jamieson down in forensics to check for some DNA. Although, not sure how far that'll get. For all we know, this guy could be under the Polyjuice potion.' He conjured an evidence bag and placed it into the bag. 'Thanks guys. First lead we've had all afternoon.'

'No worries Harry. Hope we figure out what happened soon.' George said.

'We'd better be going. Angelina is going to kill me if I don't get back soon.' Fred replied. 'It's date night, you know.'

'Yeah wouldn't want old Freddie boy to miss date night.' George mocked kissing sounds at his brother which earned him a punch on his shoulder.

'Sod off, mate. I could say the same thing about you and Alicia.' Fred replied. The other twin blushed. 'Alright. Nice seeing you folks. We'll be off then.' Without a moment more of hesitation, the twins disapparated from the hotel room.

'So. How exactly can my history skills help?' Isobel asked after a moment.

'Ah. Since you've taken an oath, we had better fill you in.' Harry said and began to explain with interjections from Blaise when needed.

'And now they have some object called Gwydion's Misguide which Dolohov extracted from a person's bin in Worthing. All we have to go off is that it looks like a mirror.' Blaise ended.

'Gwydion. Gwydion. I feel like we learnt something about him during school…' She muttered.

'Wait. Gwydion is a person?' Harry asked.

'Well. Maybe not in real life but perhaps in mythology. Perhaps you could find some insight through a mythology text.' She suggested.

'I've found your assignment.' Harry smirked. 'Find out about Gwydion. I will assign someone else to your post here.' He yawned. 'But for now. I think I need some rest. It's been a long day. Ellie and Daphne will get everything sorted for you when you get there. The floos would have opened for Isobel the moment she took the oath.'

'Alright, Potter. Thank you for everything.' Blaise thanked him.

'Don't mention it.' He yawned and collapsed on the bed, completely ignoring the fact his two visitors had yet to leave.

* * *

**(Ellie POV)**

She startled out of sleep at the sound of the floo. She knew she was safe but ever since the war, she had been extra cautious of these things. It probably didn't help she was such a light sleeper nowadays because she was constantly haunted by the things that happened at Malfoy Manor. She looked down at her arm in the moonlight to see the mudblood etched into her skin. She honestly thought she was going to die that night. If it hadn't been for the bravery of Dobby the elf, she had no idea what the world would've been like. Sure, Harry was an incredibly smart person but he had barely just survived with her by his side. She wasn't sure she wanted to think about what would've happened otherwise. It made her feel sick to her stomach. A knock at her door startled her once again and she sat up.

'Come in.' She called. Daphne poked her head around the door and looked towards her incredulously. 'Oh, it's just you Daph. What's up?'

'You'd better come and see this.' The girl smiled and walked away.

_Well, that was weird. _

She rolled out of bed, straightening her pyjamas and smoothing her hair before following Daphne downstairs. Nothing could have prepared her for the sight she would see when she entered the dining room.

'BLAISE! ISOBEL! What are you doing here?' She shouted. What time was it? Surely it was past midnight. She wrapped herself around her brother.

'Nice to see you too, sorella.' He replied. 'But could you loosen your hold please? I would like to live please.'

'Oh sorry.' She untangled herself from her brother.

'What is all this commotion?' A very disgruntled Theo walked sluggishly into the room. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the other occupants of the room who had turned to stare at him. 'What? Some of us need our sleep. Blaise, what are you doing here?'

'Potter offered protection to us. If you're a target, they are just as likely to try and use us as bait to get to you.' Blaise said pointedly at Ellie. She hadn't thought of that. As her twin, of course he was in just as much danger. She smirked.

'Whoa Ellie, you could give Draco a run for his money with that smirk.' Daphne remarked.

'Oh, shh you.' She replied, slapping the girl on the shoulder. 'I guess we had better get some rooms sorted out for you. Blaise you can share with Theo and Isobel can either share with Daphne or myself.' She replied.

'I'll share with you if you don't mind.' Isobel replied. 'No offence Daphne.'

'None taken.' The girl replied. 'All the more space for me.' Theo and Daphne glanced at each other cheekily.

'Ew…come on you two. We didn't need that image.' Blaise mused.

'Sorry not sorry.' Daphne winked at him.

'Ugh. Slytherins, I swear to god. Come on Isobel. Let's go and get your bed ready.' Ellie said to her future sister-in-law. When they were out of earshot, Isobel spoke.

'If someone would have told me I was going to marry Blaise Zabini a year ago, I would have seriously thought something was wrong with them. But now that I know him, I couldn't imagine my life without him. I know that it is moving so fast but he's all the family I got left.' She stopped and corrected herself. 'Well him and his family of course.'

'What do you mean?' Ellie asked. 'What about Morag and your parents? I thought Blaise had to choose between you or your sister.'

'They were caught in the Milan attack. I…' Isobel stopped.

'Oh. I see. I'm so sorry. We'll try and get them back, I promise. But Blaise and I are still here if you need anything.' She sympathised. 'I lost my parents too. Not my biological ones but the ones that raised me so I understand how it feels.'

'Thanks Herm…I mean, Ellie. Wow. It's weird to say that. But I appreciate it.' She smiled weakly. When they reached the room, Ellie pulled out her wand to make the bed. She was too tired to do it the muggle way. They said nothing all the while, the news of Isobel's lost family looming heavily in the air. As they settled in for the rest of the night, Isobel piped up. 'Ellie?'

'Yes, Isobel?' She replied.

'I took the oath to the order.'

'You did what?' Ellie sat up abruptly in bed.

'I took the oath. If I want to help my family, I want to do it right and that's by helping you. Harry gave me the mission to figure out who Gwydion is.' She replied. Ellie took all the information in, the gears spinning in her head could practically be heard in the silence of the room.

'Of course!' She shouted. 'How could I be so stupid? Gwydion is a person. I thought it was a place. It makes sense now.' She rolled out of bed and strode towards the door. There was no way she was getting sleep tonight now.

'Hey. Where are you going?' Isobel asked and sat up.

'To the library. Are you coming or not?' She smirked wildly at the girl.

'How can I refuse an offer like that?' The girl smirked back and followed her out the door.

Both girls sat in the tiny Black house library reading over the limited stash they had there. Unfortunately, they had come up with nothing. It was well past five am when Ellie realised Isobel had fallen asleep in one of the books. Although she yawned, she didn't really feel tired. They had stayed up all night and still hadn't found anything. Sighing, she gently closed the book she was reading on Irish folklore and tiptoed out of the library.

On her way back to her room, she ran into Blaise.

'Sorella. What are you doing up so early?' He yawned.

'I actually couldn't sleep, so I've been reading in the library.' He rolled his eyes. 'Isobel is asleep in the library, help me get her to bed, will you?' She asked and he gestured for her to lead the way.

'Don't worry. I couldn't sleep either. Kept worrying about mum and dad, Draco, Isobel's family…' He trailed off as they entered the room. He lowered his voice. 'She lost everyone she loves in the Milan attack. I'm all she has left.'

Ellie shook her head. 'She has me too and everyone else here.' She replied giving him a weak smile before he went over to her. Blaise picked up the girl and carried her back to her room, placing her gently under the covers and then kissed her forehead before whispering to Ellie that they should leave her be. Nodding, Ellie and Blaise both walked down to the kitchen. Kreacher had returned and started muttering insults at them both as they walked into kitchen.

'The mudblood who turned pure. Bet she thinks she's all mighty. Oh, and the boy who likes to play with fire…'

'Go Kreacher.' The sound of Harry's voice made them both jump out of their skin. The old house-elf grumbled but left them. 'Sorry about him. He refuses to give up old ways. How are the guests settling in?' He asked and started to brew a pot of tea for them all.

'As best as we can. It's been a trying few days.' Blaise replied.

'You don't have to tell me that.' Harry replied. 'I asked Peters to take over the investigation in Milan. He is more than capable. I have more pressing matters to deal with here. We need to find out what this weapon is. Any word from Malfoy yet?'

Ellie shook her head. 'No but don't lose hope. There will be something. Isobel and I began on it last night. We both couldn't sleep. But we haven't found anything yet.'

'I'm sure you'll find something.' He replied just as the pot began to whistle. He came back and poured them all tea. 'So, I asked Ginny if she could come over tomorrow. She said she would.'

'Oh, that's great. I'm glad. We can all talk to her about what's going on then.' She replied.

'It is…' He sighed. Ellie could tell something was up and she looked to Blaise who gave her a look to indicate he felt the same.

'Harry. Something is wrong. What's up?' She asked. He rubbed his hands over his face and through his shaggy hair and groaned.

'I feel like there's another man.' He replied. 'Like she's cheating on me. She just won't talk to me anymore.'

'Aww Harry. I'm sure that's not true.' She reached out to squeeze his hand.

'Yeah mate. I saw the look she gave you at that order meeting. I wouldn't be worried about another man.' Blaise said cheekily.

'Oh my god. Why are men so sex oriented? Seriously.' Ellie replied disgusted with the amount of sex talk that had occurred in the last 24 hours. The men chuckled.

'Thank you.' Harry said. 'I just miss her.'

'Don't worry Harry. We'll sort it out.' She replied.

'Yeah she'll be riding the Potter train again in no time.' Blaise replied.

'Ugh. That is it. I'm out. I'm going to bed.' Ellie stood and walked out of the room as the two men chuckled behind her.

Striding up the stairs, thoroughly put out, she made a pit stop at the bathroom and then continued straight to her room. Isobel was still fast asleep as she silently made her way to bed.

Closing her eyes, she shut out all thoughts and finally succumbed to her need for sleep.

* * *

**(Draco POV)**

It had been a few days now and Draco made his way to the library again, trying his best to avoid everyone (including elves) he saw. He needed to find some more information on this Gwydion person? Thing? Place? He wasn't really sure anymore. He hadn't made any progress but something told him he should check the mythology sections again.

He came to a halt just down the corridor from the library. Hiding behind a suit of armour, he watched as he saw Mr. Greengrass talk to one of the paintings on the wall. Counting the paintings from where he stood, he identified it as the thirteenth one. Perhaps this might be to do with the plan? He had no idea. He wasn't close enough to hear the conversation and he cursed the lack of armours and tapestries on the walls. After a moment, he looked up and in the direction of the suit of armour and came walking towards it. Once he was in earshot Ambrose spoke to him.

'You can stop hiding Draco, I know you're there.'

_Drat. Now he knew something was up_.

He came out from behind the suit of armour and stood before the man. How the hell did he even know he was there? Oh…the paintings. Well, now he just felt played.

'Lady Margaret tells me you've been sneaking around the home since you got here. Care to explain yourself?' The man glared at him.

_Quick Draco think of something. _

'Oh yeah about that. I have a thing for hidden passageways. I love to find them. That's what I was doing behind the suit of armour.' He lied.

_How pathetic. _

The man looked sceptical. 'No. You're definitely up to something. But what? I do not know.'

'I promise sir. I am not up to anything. I'm just a keen explorer is all.' He replied, hoping the man would take the bait.

'Fine. I don't see a reason not to trust you. Astoria showed me the wonderful necklace you gave her yesterday. Truly a beautiful piece. Was it from your mother's collection?' He asked.

'No, it was my Aunt Bellatrix's. I think Astoria would appreciate her style more than my mothers.' He replied, not truly lying. The girl's taste was truly awful.

'Right. Well. She is expecting you for high tea later today. Two o'clock sharp in the rose garden. Don't keep your bride waiting.' The man brushed past him and strode down the hallway flicking his scarf over his shoulder as he went. He truly was a peculiar man. Waiting until the man disappeared around the corner, he walked up to the portrait that Mr. Greengrass was talking to only moments before and realised the person was not there anymore. The label read: Milton Xavier Greengrass 1788. Making a mental note to look the man up, he walked into the library.

Abandoning his original reason for coming here, he made a beeline for the family tree book he had discovered the previous day. Opening the ginormous book, he turned to the index to find a Milton. Succeeding and finding the page number, he turned to it and began to read.

_Milton Xavier Greengrass – 1765-1800  
Knockturn Alley Apothecary Manager  
Affiliated with the Society for Promotion of Dark Sorcery, Potion Brewing Society, Hordes and Hounds Society  
Commonly known for his contributions to black market ingredient trade_

He wrote down the name on the nearest piece of parchment and stored it in his pocket. There was something eerily off about this Milton. He bet his life it had something to do with this plan. Greengrass needed an illegal ingredient and Milton was just the guy to do it. He would get someone to check out this Knockturn Alley Apothecary. He was almost certain that a portrait of Milton would also be in that store.

Returning the book to the shelf, he went over to the mythology sections and began perusing the shelves. Taking a book out titled 'The Origins of Welsh Mythology', he went and sat at a desk. All of a sudden, he came across a section on the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi. Right underneath it he began to read.

_Important people to note:_

_Gwydion in Welsh mythology was a deceptive magician who was able to transform the physical form of others around him. He was a strong warrior and of a gifted mind, strong enough to thrice defy his sister and outwit a powerful lord. _

He couldn't believe it. It was a breakthrough. He had found him. Finally. He continued to read a bit into the specifics of the story but that didn't really help, so he finally latched onto the final paragraph.

_It is in Welsh mythology that Gwydion fashioned a mirror of deception from his magic in which the person who possesses it shall acquire the ability to deceive their target person and/or people by changing the form of a situation, person or place. More commonly known as a misguide, how the mirror exerts it's power nor it's magnitude is unknown, although it has been rumoured that vial of Demiguise blood may enhance the effects. Demiguise blood is difficult to come by and thus there has been no proof that this is true. However, nowhere in history has reported that the mirror still exists past the 1500s. _

He had to stop himself from shouting with joy. He had found it. He had found what it did. He couldn't wait to get out of this place to show Ellie. Well everyone else as well he supposed. Writing down everything he could from the book, he got up and placed the book back on the shelf, then made sure to search the rest of the Welsh mythology books making additional notes. Before he knew it, it was nearing two. He hadn't realised just how easily the time was slipping away from him. He quickly packed up, slipped the notes into his pocket and slunk out of the library back to his room to quickly dispose of his notes before hightailing it to his high tea with 'the future wife'. He groaned.

He was really dreading this. All she wanted to talk about was the wedding and how much she loved her 'Drakey wakey'. He shuddered at the childish nickname she had given him.

He found her in the rose garden adorned in her new favourite necklace and a dress that was much too seductive for her innocent disposition. But it did absolutely nothing for him. He wasn't interested in her. He was much more interested in getting this over with so he could get out of there as soon as possible. She instructed him to sit and he did just that.

'Drakey-wakey. You've been avoiding me. Am I not pretty enough? Do you not like me?'

_Spot on sweetheart. _

Was what he wanted to say. Instead, he replied. 'No. It's not that. I've been really busy preparing for final year is all. I need to ace these NEWTS.'

'Oh. How boring.' She rolled her eyes although she did possess a glint of acceptance of that answer. Perhaps she wasn't as ditsy as he once assumed. Still didn't mean she wasn't annoying as hell. 'I know what will cheer you up. Wedding plans.' She began to chatter away and he tried to focus but he kept feeling anxious to just get away. He nodded when he was supposed to but he honestly just couldn't care less. He finished his tea and finger sandwiches as quickly as he could and then stopped her mid-sentence.

'And we can have tulips…'

'Tori. I have some bad news.' He said, mustering all the solemn energy he could.

'Oh. You're right, tulips won't be in season then.' She replied.

'No. Not about the wedding.' He answered.

'What is it, Drakey wakey?' She pouted.

'I'm leaving. Today.' He told her outright.

'What? No! We've hardly spent anytime together. Please stay. Please. You do hate me.' She began sobbing.

'Oh Tori, please don't cry. I promise I don't hate you. I'm a very busy man. I have important business things to take care of. I promise we'll spend more time together when we're at school.' He replied truthfully.

_Although strongly dislike is a phrase I'd like to use. _

'Ok. Do what you have to.' She sniffed stiffly. 'You men and your work. It always comes first.' She huffed and stormed off. Oh well. At least he could leave now in peace.

Running back up the stairs to the suite, he packed everything back into his trunk and shrunk it, placing it in his pocket. He then ran down the stairs to the fireplace and flooed home. He couldn't wait to tell everyone he had found the information they needed.

* * *

He ran up to his room as soon as he got there ready to compose a letter to Ellie/Erin. Rushing in the door, he pulled his trunk out and brought it back to it's original size. But in his haste, he neglected to notice his father standing in the corner.

'Draco. Back so soon? I was wondering when the girl would scare you off.'

'What the fuck are you doing in my room father?' He asked, whipping around at his voice. Thankfully he hadn't taken the notes out of his trunk yet.

'Tsk tsk. No need to be so testy. I'm just taking a look around. Seeing what mischief, you may be getting up to and my, my you've been a bad boy. Sending messages under an alias to another woman when you're already betrothed. And who is Erin, Draco? Or should I say Damien?' He walked closer and Draco gulped. He knew he should have burned those letters but he couldn't bring himself to. Now he was in some real shit.

* * *

**(WARNING: Domestic violence is coming up, if this triggers move down to next line).**

'I said who…is…Erin?' He slapped him across the face. 'Answer me boy.'

'No one. Just some girl I dated at school.' He replied, hoping his father would accept the answer but to no avail.

'Liar.' He kicked him. 'You're working with someone. I know it.' He said vindictively. He continued to kick him repeatedly.

'I'll give you one more chance. Who is Erin?' He yelled. Draco was gasping for air, clutching himself in pain and rolling on the floor.

'I told you who she is dad. Please. Stop.' He yelled. He could feel Lucius trying to enter his mind but he blocked him. He wouldn't tell him. Ever.

'God damn it boy. You're hiding something from me.' He gave him one last blow and a devastatingly loud crack was heard in his leg, making him scream out in pain. 'You're weak. But I will find out who she is, mark my words boy.' He spat and walked out of the room.

* * *

'Minky.' He gasped out in pain.

'Yes master. Oh, dear god. Not again. Minky will fix yous up master. Right away master.' She went about fixing his many ailments and then levitated him onto the bed, giving him a dreamless sleep potion to help him relax.

'Thank you Minky.' He said, appreciatively before succumbing to sleep.

'Yous are welcome, master. Yous will sleep well now. Master will suffer greatly for what he has done to yous.' The elf replied before thinking of a something bad to do to her other master even though she would deserve and suffer severe punishment afterwards. But Minky would do anything to protect the man that helped shelter her and showed her kindness when she needed it most.

* * *

**So here was the next chapter. Stay safe y'all. **

**Until next time Zozo :)**


	25. Awoke Spirits and Secret Assignments

**Chapter 24**

* * *

**(Daphne POV)**

The clearing in the middle of the Forbidden Forest was aglow with the whispering embers of the fire. The two cloaked figures stood on opposite sides of the fire, attempting to summon the spirits that lay within. It was her first training session since being promoted to the next superior one and they had delved straight into manifesting fire spirits or sprites. As hard as Daphne was trying to concentrate on bringing these beings into existence, she couldn't keep her thoughts on the task at hand. Her tutor noticed.

'You are distracted my child. What appears to be the problem?'

'It is Isobel isn't it?' Daphne said to her tutor as she cast another wave of spiritual energy into the fire. 'The fourth member to join the fight?'

'Ah…You mustn't let the problems of your own prophecies get to you my child.' The woman paused. 'Close your eyes and focus on releasing your energy into the fire. All will be revealed in no time.' She whispered. 'Close your eyes, Daphne.'

Daphne closed her eyes and brought all her attention to releasing her thoughts into the fire, sending wave after wave of spiritual energy into the fire.

'That's it my child. Keep going.' She heard the positive reinforcement of her supervisor and continued to release every thought that came to her mind into the fire. She could sense herself getting tired but it didn't stop her, she needed the answers and she was going to get them no matter how much energy it took for her.

When she was completely spent, her supervisor gasped in surprise and instructed her to open her eyes. As she did, she collapsed on the ground but looked around her. Little, orange, glowing sprites were bursting out of the fire and dancing around the clearing giving the illusion of fireflies. Oh, how she wished Theo could see this right now. It was the most beautiful scene she had ever experienced in her life. A wave of euphoria rushed over her body as she watched the delicate, yet blazing creatures dance around. A moment later, she felt her tutor's hand on her shoulder give her a delicate squeeze.

'You did it my child. I'm so proud of you. You know, it took me three practice sessions for me to get it right. For you to do it in your first try is an incredible achievement. I can tell you are destined for great things.' She replied.

As she continued to watch in awe, Daphne suddenly realised they were sending her a message intuitively. Closing her eyes once more, she tuned into their message.

_To find the answer in which you seek, look into your heart, what does it speak?_

Well that insinuated that she already knew the answer. So, Isobel was the fourth member of the prophecy then. She need not have asked them for the answer.

_Child with so much power, it's your gift we praise this hour. _

Smiling to herself for finding the answer to her question, she felt ease rush over her body. As she opened her eyes, she noticed the fire spirits beginning to fizzle away back into the fire. They had given her what she needed and knew that they were there whenever she would need to call upon them later. Looking up to gaze at her supervisor, she noticed the woman was also smiling down on her.

'Dear child, you have a remarkable gift.' She replied, joining her on the ground, soaking up the last of the warmth of the now dying fire.

'The fire spirits told me what I needed to know.' Daphne replied.

'They always do.' The older woman replied. 'I think that is enough for tonight. Are you sure you can get home alright?'

'Yes. Theo is waiting for me at Hagrid's hut.' She replied.

'Ah Rubeus. Such generosity, such gift…' The other woman trailed off on another tangent. 'That Theo, also a very gifted seer. How blessed we are to have such young and powerful people with the gift of inner sight. You hold on to him dear. You are both destined for great things, true. But nothing is more powerful than the love a couple may share for each other.'

'Thank you superior one. I will.' Daphne replied, picking herself off the ground and began to help the older woman up.

'Go. May the spirits guide you towards great blessings.' She announced and waved Daphne out of the clearing. Daphne was bewildered. Had she really just summoned fire spirits on her first try? The superior one herself had just admitted that it had taken her three tries. It had been the most miraculous experience. She tried to retain the picture in her mind so she'd be able to show Theo it later. Feeling relaxed, she rustled through the bushes in the darkness. The sound of centaur hooves to her right made her look up but knowing the dangers of this forest she knew to never deter from her path. She felt the brisk autumn chill wisp around her and she pulled her cloak in towards her and willed herself closer to the edge of the forest.

About twenty minutes later, she approached the clearing and made her way towards the hut. She heard the booming laughter of Hagrid from within and smirked to herself. As much as people thought Slytherins were cold-hearted, some of them were not as horrible as they seemed. She and Theo had visited Hagrid all the time during school. Looking up to the now reformed school, she sighed. She would be back in it's walls next week. She couldn't wait to get back to that life. Back to some sense of normality. All she ever wanted was to finish her education and retire to a little seaside village where she and Theo could live out ordinary lives. She supposed being a high-order seer wouldn't grant her such an opportunity. But she'd be damned if she couldn't at least live out some of her dream. Sighing a wishful sigh, she turned back to the door and knocked. As she waited for Hagrid to open the door, she heard Fang bark and scratch at the door.

'Out of the way, you old sook.' Hagrid said, opening the door but Fang jumped on top of her. He licked her playfully and she just laughed.

'Hey boy…' She laughed.

'Alright you sook. That's enough drooling on our guest.' He pulled the dog away. 'Daphne. How nice to see yer. Come in. Come in. Theo and I were just having a cup of tea. Would you like one?' He gestured for her to come in.

'I would love one, thanks Hagrid.' She removed her cloak and sat down next to Theo. He peered over the top of his glasses at her and she mouthed later at him but with a big grin. He relaxed and draped his arm around her on top of the lounge whilst Hagrid poured her some tea.

'Theo here was just telling me about all the shenanigans that yer been up to in Grimmauld Place.' Hagrid said and placed the cup in front of her.

'Has he just? And what kind of shenanigans would that be?' She questioned, looking between the half-giant and the man.

'Oh, yer know. You kids being kids.' He replied. She had to admit that ever since Blaise and Isobel had joined the house it had gotten much livelier in the Black house. She chuckled. Pranks had been played, a lot of teasing not to mention the banter. She would have to admit that she kind of wished they had all been friends since first year. It had been the best week and a half of her life.

'It has been fun getting to know people we haven't had a chance to know before.' She admitted. 'When this all over, I reckon we'll be friends for life.'

'That's good to hear. We all need a bit of happiness in these dark times.' Hagrid replied.

'Couldn't have said it better myself Hagrid.' Theo agreed, taking a sip of his tea.

'So…how are Harry and Ginny going?' Hagrid asked.

Daphne sighed as she recalled the day when Ginny had come over.

_They had all been in the dining room at Grimmauld Place when Ginny had flooed in. She had looked startled to see all of them there but regained her composure quite quickly. _

_'Hello. What's happening here?' She asked. _

_'We're playing exploding snap. You want to join?' Blaise asked. _

_'Uh. No thanks. Where's Harry?' She asked. _

_'He's in the library with Ellie. I need to talk to Ellie so I'll come with.' Daphne replied and the pair left Theo, Blaise and Isobel to their game. 'So how have you been Ginny?' _

_'Fine.' The girl said coldly and stepped a bit further away from her. _

_'Ginny. I'm sorry for the way we may have treated you during school. I promise we didn't mean anything we said, it was all for appearance's sake. I know you don't trust us but I would really like us all to be friends. We are in the order now. We are one of you guys not the enemy.' She replied. The redheaded girl looked at her through glaring eyes as if she were wondering whether to trust her or not. After another moment she sighed._

_'Alright. I'd like that too.' She stuck out her hand and they shook hands, laughing at how ridiculously professional it felt. They continued laughing as they entered the library, making the other two look up. _

_'What's so funny?' Ellie asked, quirking an eyebrow. _

_'Oh nothing. It was a had to be there moment.' Ginny answered before embracing her friend. 'I've missed you Ellie. How have you been?' _

_'As good as I can be, being cooped up here with all these Slytherins and Isobel. You remember her? Luna's friend.' _

_'Oh yeah. I do. She's great.' Ginny said. Harry coughed, alerting them to his presence. 'Harry. I need to explain.' She turned to him. 'A little privacy please?' The girls then walked out of the library but Daphne pulled an extendable ear out of her pocket so they could listen in. _

_'It's not what you think.' _

_'What the hell was I supposed to think? You were pulling away Gin. Without explanation.' _

_'Harry, please. Let me explain.' _

_'Fine. Go on. I'm listening.' He sounded really angry at her. _

_'Well. I missed my period.' _

_'YOU WHAT?' He yelled. _

_Ellie and Daphne shared a widened look and mouthed 'what the hell?' _

_'I missed my period Harry and I thought that I was pregnant. So, I went to the doctor and she confirmed it. But…' She sniffed. 'I lost him Harry…I've been so stressed that I lost him. Please don't hate me.' Ginny broke down and they could hear Harry walk over to her. _

_'Hey…shh…I could never hate you. I love you Gin.' He said. 'Is that why you were pulling away? Because you were afraid of angering me?' _

_'Yes. I know how much you want a family Harry and I was so happy when I found out and I was going to surprise you. But then I lost him and I was devastated. I thought you'd hate me. So, I pulled away. I needed to heal before I could bring myself to tell you.' _

_'Oh Gin. I don't hate you. I just hated the fact you couldn't tell me what was going on. There's plenty of time for a family later on. Please. Gin. Can we just focus on being together again?' He kissed her forehead or somewhere. Daphne couldn't tell. _

_'Come on.' Ellie said. 'Let's give them some privacy.' _

_Daphne nodded and extracted the extendable ear as they both walked downstairs heavily saddened by the news of Ginny's miscarriage. Upon entering the dining room, they shared the news of the conversation they had eavesdropped on to their friends on the promise that they wouldn't tell anyone. A promise that didn't need to be fulfilled for an hour and many rounds of exploding snap later, Ginny and Harry told them the news. They had all given their friends as much support as they needed. But since then had tried to help them to move on. _

'They're trying to keep it together. It's hard when you wanted something for so long and something ruins your chance of getting there. But they're getting better. Ginny will move back in after the school year.' Daphne answered.

'I can only imagine.' Hagrid replied. 'How are you two keeping up?'

The couple looked between themselves before answering.

'We're doing great at the moment actually.' Theo said with optimism.

'No complaints here.' Daphne agreed.

'We've decided to sell Nott Manor and save whatever my father didn't owe towards a down payment on a seaside cottage for after we graduate.' Theo said proudly. The idea had never seemed more enticing than right now.

'I'm so glad that the war didn't keep such a great couple apart.' Hagrid sniffed. 'Oh no. Look I'm getting all emotional. Don't mind me.' He blew his nose into his handkerchief.

'Oh Hagrid. Don't cry. The war was hard on us all.' Daphne soothed.

'Yes. Well. Some more than others. Help yourselves to some rock cakes.' He replied.

'No thanks. We ate a big dinner before.' Theo answered. Hagrid coughed to get his emotions in check.

'Alright, sorry about that. Still getting over it.' He feigned a smile. 'Now, have we heard from Draco yet?'

Daphne clearly remembered the day they received Draco's letter. It was a few days after they had begun to reread everything in the library when he had sent the letter over with Aquilla.

_Ellie and Daphne were in the dining room reading books on Celtic gods when Aquilla flew in through the fireplace. They both looked up recognising the owl and nearly snatched the letter from her talons in anticipation. _

_Ellie opened the letter and all the colour drained out of her face when she read it. She passed the letter to Daphne to read. _

_Erin,  
I'm sending this letter from the edge of our apparition borders at the edge of the estate. He knows and so this will be my last letter to you. I have everything we need to know but I can not pass this information on right now as it might be intercepted. Please meet me in the dining room at half past eight tonight. I won't be able to speak long. He is keeping tabs on me now.  
Damien x  
P.S. Keep Aquilla. She won't be safe here. Return her when I see you. _

_Daphne looked up at Ellie who was now pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace. Lucius knew about their correspondence. So, what did that mean for them? How careful did they need to be from now on? What was going to happen to Draco?_

_'HARRY! BLAISE! THEO! ISOBEL! GET DOWN HERE NOW!' She called up the stairs out of the dining room. _

_'Coming!' They called and a rush of footsteps could be hear throughout the house. When they saw the anxiety on Ellie's face, they knew something was up and then they saw Aquilla. _

_'It's Draco.' Blaise said first. 'What did he say?' _

_Daphne handed the note to Harry who read it. 'This isn't good.' He then passed it to Blaise and Theo who both read it. Blaise then informed Isobel. 'We need to extract Malfoy right now. It's getting too dangerous for him.' Harry commanded. 'Lucius could unravel the whole operation.'_

_'We can't Harry. He's got an anti-apparition spell placed on him.' Ellie exclaimed. _

_'Shoot. You're right. Well. Um. I don't know what to do then.' He mumbled. _

_'Calm down everyone.' Daphne exclaimed. 'Draco's a big boy. He can handle himself for another week until we get to school. Let's just see what he has to say tonight.' _

_A mumble of agreement occurred through the group. Aquilla bit Ellie's finger. _

_'Ouch. Aquilla.' She yelped and then went to fetch the bird a treat before she flew off up to join Opal in the attic turned owlery. _

_'Anyone up for a game of chess?' Theo asked as everyone dissolved back to what they were doing. _

_(Later that night)_

_They gathered around the dining room fireplace awaiting Draco at twenty-five past eight. Ellie had her piece of parchment and quill ready to take down all the information they needed from him and everyone was whispering in hushed tones. _

_'Do you think he's really solved the Gwydion thing?' Isobel whispered to Blaise. _

_'If I know Draco, he will have.' Blaise replied slipping a kiss on her forehead. _

_'I'm nervous Ellie. What if this weapon is too strong? What if we can't stop it?' Harry was pacing up and down the room. _

_'Calm down Harry. We have to take this one step at a time.' Ellie answered. 'Besides it is prophesised that we will defeat this.' _

_'Yeah mate, sit down before you give us all anxiety.' Theo said and Harry came and joined them as they awaited Draco._

_At eight thirty-eight, he finally appeared. 'Hey. Sorry I'm late. I couldn't get away from him.' _

_'Draco, good to see you alive man.' Blaise said. _

_'Yeah. We thought Tori might eat you alive.' Daphne agreed. _

_'I see the whole calvary is here.' Draco mused. 'Anyway. I haven't got long. Father will be back to check on me in fifteen. So, here's what you need to know. Gwydion was a welsh warrior/magician who could shapeshift things.' Ellie was furiously scribbling down notes. 'He made the misguide so that the person who possesses it can deceive their target by altering the form of a situation, place or person.' _

_'Hang on. That sounds like it doesn't work on a large scale.' Harry said. _

_'For once I agree Potter. But the book said that a vial of Demiguise blood may be able to enhance the effects of it.' _

_'By what magnitude?' Ellie asked. _

_'Could be anything from a tiny bit to a hundred-fold. They are unsure as it was last reported to exist in the 1500s and no one knows how it worked.' _

_'So that does mean that the death eaters used the misguide in the Milan attack doesn't it?' Isobel asked. _

_'Well it would make sense wouldn't it if they did? The place was destroyed and there was no trace of anyone there.' _

_'An object like that would have to have an extraordinary amount of power.' Ellie mused. 'Does it absorb the demiguise blood permanently or do they have to keep reapplying it?' _

_'Well given they haven't done anything else since the attack, I would assume that they have to reapply it. Demiguise blood is particularly rare too so getting a hold of it and in large quantities would be costly and would take some time. That reminds me. I need someone to go to the Knockturn Alley Apothecary for me.' _

_'Why?' Harry asked. 'What do you need from there?' _

_'Norman was talking to a portrait of a Milton Xavier Greengrass.' Ellie scribbled name down. 'He used to manage the apothecary there and solicit illegal and rare ingredients. I'm sure Daphne can give you more details but I need someone to find out if there is a portrait of him in the shop and if he's the one collecting Demiguise blood for the death eaters.'_

_'Alright. I'll get my aurors onto it.' Harry said. _

_'No. It would be better if you send someone in that isn't associated with the aurors. The manager will know. Blaise and I can go in.' Theo said. Blaise nodded in agreement. _

_'Think about it Potter. The more aurors we get involved, the more suspicious they will become of us. It needs to be us. I severely doubt a simple apothecary would recognise us.' Blaise reasoned. _

_'Alright. I see your point.' Harry resigned. _

_'Oh, and one more thing. Greengrass is definitely in this plan. He was talking to the guy I assume was in the Hogs Head. I didn't manage to get a look at him. But he was under the imperio and I think there might be a family hostage situation involved. But he knows us. He knows me and my connections. He is suspicious of my connection to the Zabini's and reported it to Norman. We need to be careful from now on. Both Norman and Lucius are suspicious.' Draco explained. _

_'Ok. Well the same guy dropped a map in Fred and George's shop the day of the attack with the spot marked on it. He stole some fireworks but they didn't get a chance to look at him either. Jamieson in forensics wasn't able to identify any DNA on the map apart from mine and the twins. So, we have no leads there.' Harry replied. _

_'Well I hope this information was helpful.' He looked behind him. 'I'm sorry. I've got to go. Someone's coming. Stay safe.' Draco said and he disappeared out of the flames. _

It had been a lot of information to take in at the time but Ellie being the proficient note taker she was, was able to dictate everything they needed back to them after. Harry had neglected to tell the rest of the order the news, holding back until Blaise and Theo went to investigate the apothecary. They were expected to go there tomorrow. They had spent the better part of the week preparing their story for when they went in there.

Whilst Daphne had been remembering the situation, Theo had relayed the information to Hagrid.

'That Malfoy fellow has done some solid work for the order since he joined. That Lucius should be ashamed of himself for the way he treats him.' Hagrid replied.

'I couldn't agree with you more Hagrid.' Theo said and watched Daphne yawned. 'But perhaps we had best be getting back. Daphne appears to be falling asleep as we speak.'

'Right you are, Theo. Right you are. Well, off you go then. I'll see ya in a week.' He said and gently ushered them out the door.

Theo wrapped himself tightly around her and together they apparated back to Grimmauld Place where they entered in from the outside.

* * *

Daphne said goodnight to Theo and went upstairs to her bedroom. She had used too much energy tonight and she needed to sleep it off.

The following morning, Daphne, Ellie and Isobel stood in the main entrance of number twelve Grimmauld Place and wished Blaise and Theo luck as they set off to complete their apothecary mission. As the boys left, Daphne felt an overwhelming surge of spiritual energy run through her. Something wasn't quite right but she brushed it off. The boys would be fine. She was just being paranoid for no reason. Right?

* * *

**(Blaise POV) **

Blaise woke up early, ready to find out more about this Milton Greengrass person. Daphne had elaborated to say that he had died from an illegal trade gone wrong but over the years he had still remained in contact with the descendants of his original traders and buyers and somehow manages to gain access to them for the current shop owner. How a portrait did that, Blaise didn't know, but magic worked in strange ways.

He and Theo had designed a plan to get all the information they needed. They would go in as Italian traders of the rare and illegal fox-spell plant wishing to invest in a trade with the apothecary. Because it was unlikely that anyone in England knew what the plant actually looked like because it was a plant forged from the Cliffs of Manarola and was actually illegal to transport into the country, Ellie transfigured a fake look-alike plant out of a goblet. The plant was spindly and curled out like a fox tail, hence the name. It was a particular ingredient used in dark, banned potions which would surely entice the owner and Milton. They were to ask about Demiguise blood but in such a roundabout way that they wouldn't suspect a thing. Blaise was feeling nervous but he was sure they could do it. He wasn't exactly sure what they were going to say but he knew he wasn't going it alone either. He just hoped he didn't panic on the spot and blow their cover. Getting out of bed, he went downstairs to the kitchen where Ellie was already sitting and drinking a coffee.

'Morning.' He said as he walked into the room.

'Good morning fratello.' She replied.

'You learned a new word in Italian, I see I'm rubbing off on you.' He grinned and went to pour himself a cup of coffee.

'Hah. In your dreams. Daphne has been helping me learn a bit.' She countered. 'How are you feeling?'

'Nervous. But we should be fine. Get in, ask and get out. Right.' He said, coming to join her.

'And your emergency exit strategy?' She asked.

'Relax Elles. We got it under control.' He soothed and took a sip of his coffee. 'Mm. That's some strong coffee. Did you not sleep well again last night?'

'Not at all. I feel awful. I just wish there was someway to help Draco out.' She replied. Blaise smirked but didn't mention the sneaky thought that came to mind about his sister and best friend.

'We'll be back at school next week and the anti-apparition spell will lift. Until then, he can look after himself.' Blaise replied.

'I didn't mean that. I meant the marriage contract. I've gone over it nearly a dozen times and unless we castrate him, I don't see a way out of this for him.' She exclaimed.

'Elles. You're the smartest witch I know. Surely there would be a way to break the contract that doesn't involve dismembering Draco's private parts.'

'If there is, I one hundred percent can't find it.' She sighed frustratingly.

'Don't give up. Do you want me to bring home some dreamless sleep potion? It might help.' He asked.

'If you wouldn't mind.' She shone her amber coloured eyes at him.

'Absolutely not. It's what brothers are for.' He said and got up to start making breakfast for the household. 'So, bacon and eggs or pancakes?'

'Definitely pancakes.' She replied.

'One Zabini special coming right up.' He said and went about making the pancakes.

* * *

Three hours later and Theo and himself had been kitted up, given their goodbyes to the girls (Potter had left to go somewhere) and had apparated to Diagon Alley. They were wearing matching suits, briefcases and sunglasses. The sunglasses were Isobel's idea. She said it reminded her of a muggle film she once watched. Men in Black or something. He reminded himself to ask her about it later. Blaise stopped by the potions shop and picked up some medicines that they might need as well as Ellie's dreamless sleep potion before the pair cautiously made their way down into Knockturn Alley.

Knockturn Alley Apothecary was a dimly lit store up the end of the street. Taking out their wands and muttering Lumos, the two men continued up the alley towards the store, making sure to stay well away from the beggars and street urchins.

Upon arrival at the door, Blaise looked around to ensure they weren't being watched before asking Theo 'You ready mate?'

'As ready as I'll ever be.' He nodded and they both walked in the door.

The stench inside the shop was a mixture of borage and pond slime mixed with various other smells that Blaise assumed were illicit ingredients. There was no sign of a portrait but he assumed it would be in one of the back rooms. Potion upon potion sat around the walls of the store, ingredients lay in boxes across the middle of the room and bats hung from the ceiling. It was an eery place and Blaise honestly didn't like it. The anxiety hit him and he swallowed hard as they walked up to the front desk and tapped on the bell.

'Buongiorno?' He asked to the air.

'Ah hello Monsieurs. How may I help you?' A tall lanky French man, with a name tag that read Clyde entered from the backroom. He was wearing a white shirt, trousers and an apron. He didn't appear more than thirty years old.

'Buongiorno. I am Don Pepino and this is my associate San Marzano and we are Italian foreign traders in Foxspell plants.' Blaise said mentally slapping himself. He panicked and aid the first thing that came to mind.

'Excuse moi. Did you jist say Foxspell plant?' Clyde looked taken aback. Obviously, he had heard of the plant.

'Ci.' Blaise replied.

'Excuse moi, Mr. Pepino, Mr. Marzano, someone shall be back in jiffy.' The man excused himself and went into the back room.

'Really Blaise. Couldn't think of better names? We're now pizza sauce and tomato. Nice to meet you.' Theo replied.

'Alright, I panicked. Sue me. This place gives me the creeps.' Blaise admitted.

'You're not wrong there.' Theo agreed. 'It's like a Halloween hoedown in here.'

Another man, this time a greying Englishman dressed in a similar manner as the other man except with a bowler hat and a moustache, suddenly came out of the backroom. 'Gentlemen, I'm Harris Mitchell, the owner of this establishment. How may I assist you today?'

'Ah yes. We are foreign traders in Foxspell plants and were wondering if you'd be interested in stocking them in your store.' Blaise asked.

'Foxspell plants, you don't say. Well come right this way, gentlemen why don't you.' He gestured for them to follow them into the backroom. Although the backroom wasn't actually a backroom at all. It was a corridor. Along the corridor were portraits of various other apothecaries that Blaise assumed had either worked in or owned this apothecary. He winked at Theo who nodded and they followed the man down the hallway reading the names as they went. 'Now what did you say your names were?' He asked.

'I'm Don Pepino and he is San Marzano.' Blaise said. The man started chuckling in the most unprofessional way.

'Don Pepino and San Marzano? Don Pepino? San Marzano? Pizza sauce and tomato? You fellas must be kidding me.' Harris laughed.

'Yes. Well you didn't expect us to use our real names did you. Confidentiality in this business is of the utmost importance, I'm sure you must know.' Theo said. Blaise was pleasantly surprised by his friend's quick thinking. That may have just saved them.

Harris suddenly sobered and looked suspiciously between the two men. Blaise tried hard to keep a stern and unemotional face and Theo looked to be doing the same.

'Hmm. Quite right you are. Come along then.' Harris turned and continued to walk down the hallway. Blaise and Theo followed closely behind, still observing the names at the bottom of the portraits. When they reached the last one in the hallway, Blaise felt a nudge in his side and he looked at Theo.

'That's him.' He mouthed. Blaise nodded.

They entered the room behind Harris and were blinded by the amount of white light that was in it. A little table with three chairs sat in the middle of the room. The room otherwise seemed devoid of furniture. Harris sat on one side of the table and gestured for the other two men to sit. When they did, he got straight down to business. Blaise felt like he was being interrogated.

'Now. These Foxspell plants, how many have you got?' Harris questioned them.

'I'd say about five thousand of them, San?' He looked to his associate.

'Oh yes Don. Five thousand is about how many we have here.' Theo agreed.

'So, you're willing to sell me, how many?' Harris continued.

'Six hundred for the first lot and if that sells a regular shipment can be reached.' Blaise stared down the man. Harris calculated the idea for a moment before asking them to go on. 'We would send a regular monthly shipment under the description of snakeweed, it's sister plant, so it goes undetected right to your doorstep.'

'And how much would this shipment cost me?' Harris said.

'Three hundred galleons a month.' Blaise replied.

'Three hundred galleons! You must be joking.' Harris exclaimed. 'They must be bloody good if they're that dear. Do you have one you can show me?'

'Indeed. San, if you will?' Theo pulled the plant out of his briefcase and placed it on the table. The foxtail swished around in the light as Harris examined it.

'Hmm…still think three hundred galleons is a bit too much.' Harris then explained.

'Well then. Do you trade in anything else? Goblin wax, Niffler fur, Demiguise blood?' Blaise asked. Harris sat and observed the two men in front of him and looked torn. It was as if he didn't want to tell them what they were hiding. But after a moment he gave in.

'Alright. Because you gentlemen are being so generous, I will let you in on a secret. I have a guy that can get you some Demiguise blood. He's the first portrait on the wall on the way out. He's been dealing in the stuff a lot lately. A customer needed a large shipment of it. Anyway, I'll have a chat to him and see if we can strike some sort of a deal. If you're still interested, come back to the shop say tomorrow afternoon and we can chat again. Deal?'

'It's a deal.' The man shook hands with them both.

'But did you say a customer needed a large shipment of it? Whatever for?' Theo asked.

'Oh, he wouldn't say. Although he did need it shipped to Milan for some reason. Horrible thing to happen there. I do hope the shipment arrived ok.' He stopped. 'I shouldn't be telling you this. Get out now both of you. We shall discuss our business tomorrow. Good day.' He shooed them out of the room, up the hallway and out of the shop in the rudest manner.

Blaise couldn't believe how quick and painless that had been. But they did it. They confirmed Draco's theory. Harris wasn't going to be happy when they didn't show up tomorrow but they at least confirmed that Milton was the guy supplying the death eaters with the Demiguise blood. No one in Milan needed large quantities of the stuff for nothing. They had also confirmed that they needed large quantities which meant the effects didn't last long. They had done it and the death eaters didn't even suspect a thing.

'Well done Don Pepino.' Theo said.

'Well done yourself San Marzano.' Blaise replied and they walked up the alley again. 'Now let's get out of here, this place is giving me the creeps.'

* * *

The two men apparated back to Grimmauld Place to inform their housemates of their news. The only problem was, now that they knew, what were they going to do about it?

* * *

**This story took a turn that I wasn't initially intending it to take but I'm kind of liking it. The pizza sauce and tomato part was so much fun to put in there.**

**Anyway, stay safe y'all. **

**Until next time Zozo :) **


	26. The Trace and Travellers

**Chapter 25**

* * *

**(Draco POV)**

He had lost count of how many times Minky had fixed him up over the past week since he had returned. His father had been relentless in his search for information and hadn't held back physically in his attempts to subdue him. Minky, of course, had done her best to fix him up every single time however, with each subsequent beating, it had become more difficult. He was surprised that his father had stooped to brute force. It was quite ironic really. He was fighting against muggle kind yet he relied on their techniques in order to get his way.

Now as he sat up in his bed, the dawn of the day his trace would be lifted fast approaching, he could not wait to be free and to heal properly. He was sure no amount of Skelegro could fix how brittle his bones were feeling right now. He could feel every inch of his body ache with every single movement and he had bruises in places where he had no idea they could bruise. Taking the last vial of pain relief potion from his bedside table, he downed it, instantly feeling his muscles relax.

Today was the day. He was finally returning to Hogwarts. He would be away from his father, safe from his wrath. As he contemplated this thought, a soft knock came from his door. He tensed but doubted it was his father. He had thankfully disappeared last night on 'business' again.

'Come in.' He said clearly. 'Mother. To what do I owe the pleasure?'

'I'm leaving him.'

He took a double take. Did she just very bluntly say what he thought she just said? Had his mother really just gone against her morals and do something for herself? If she had, he would be very impressed.

'Pardon?' He quirked his eyebrow.

'Darling. I said I am leaving your father. I can't do this anymore. I can't keep sitting back and watching you whilst you get hurt. How are you feeling this morning by the way?' She asked as she came to examine the bruise around his eye. He flinched as she touched it. 'It's a bit tender, isn't it?' She mused as she retrieved a bottle of something from her robe pocket. 'I asked my friend, Frederic Porter for a bottle of his ointment. They've since taken it off the shelves, something or rather about illegal use of gildenweed, but here. It should help. Apply sparingly, a little goes a long way.' She handed him the bottle.

The label read:

_Porter's Bruise Ointment  
Since 1923  
Reduces swelling and the appearance of bruises  
Warning: If irritation occurs please discontinue use  
May contain traces of figs _

'Thanks mum.' He replied and placed the bottle on the bedside table. 'Did you see Mr. Golding?' He asked. She sighed and turned to him again.

'I did and I filed a divorce. Given the dire circumstances, he didn't even question it.' She admitted. 'Lucius was mad, of course. He demanded an explanation and in doing so, finally raised his hand on me. It turns out our marriage contract had a violence clause and the moment he raised his hand on me, it became null and void and the divorce automatically went through.'

'But hasn't he raised his hand on you before?' He asked.

'Many times, dear, but the violence clause only came into effect when I filed for divorce. It is supposedly some ancient protection clause that I doubt has even been used before.' She shrugged.

'So that's it. You're free?' He asked.

'Yes darling. I am free.' She confirmed. 'You can be too. I am going to go and live with sister, Andromeda. She's finally forgiven me for the horrible things in our past. I'm sure she'll want to get to know her nephew as well.'

'Thanks mum. I will consider it.'

'Although, I do imagine you will probably want to be on your own or with your friends after this is through.' She mused. 'Perhaps get yourself a nice apartment in a city somewhere. London has some great real estate this year. Or maybe you'd like to go abroad?' She winked and he immediately knew where this was headed.

'Mother. Stop it. I'm not in the mood.' He sulked. She sighed.

'Well darling, you had best be getting ready. I'll see you downstairs. You might want to put a glamour on your face before you get to Hogwarts though. You don't want Minerva to think she's chosen the wrong person for Head Boy now, do you?' His mother elegantly glided out of the room. He had completely forgotten that he was Head Boy this year. No more Slytherin dorm rooms. He'd be sharing a dormitory with the Head Girl. Eleanora Zabini. Ellie. Now that was going to complicate things even further.

He groaned and rubbed his face, inhaling sharply at the sting of pain that erupted from his eye. He picked up the vial of Porter's Bruise Ointment and applied a drop onto his finger before carefully running it around his eye. The reaction was instantaneous as the inflammation drained away from his face. He had never been so grateful for his mother's high society friends right now.

He got up and began packing the few bits and pieces that he had unpacked from his visit to the Greengrass Manor. Then he packed his school robes and Head Boy badge. He smirked. McGonagall was off her rocker to choose him as Head Boy but he wasn't going to complain. He doubted much of Slytherin House would be very receptive to him this year. He wouldn't be hounded by Astoria or Pansy either. Having a dormitory away from all that would make his life a whole lot easier. He looked up out of the window as the sun peeped over the hills and he felt the trace leave his body. He breathed a sigh of relief. He was free. The sun rose a little further before he left the room and trundled downstairs with his trunk, his owl cage devoid of Aquilla for the time being and his wand.

He found his mother in the ballroom by the fireplace.

'Come Draco. I assume that the trace has been lifted?' She asked and he nodded in response. 'Wonderful. Now, we're headed to the Leaky Cauldron first, then Diagon Alley and then we have another stop in London before Platform 9 ¾.'

'Why so many detours, mother?' He quirked his eyebrow.

'You'll see.' She smirked before gesturing for him to get into the fire alongside her, he felt the pull of the floo and he was suddenly in The Leaky Cauldron.

* * *

Tom the barman was polishing glassware and the cleaning ladies were setting up tables for breakfast for the inn guests. It couldn't be much more than eight in the morning. His mother gestured for him to follow and he didn't argue. He wasn't exactly sure why they were here. Perhaps his mother had to see a legal representative or something. This early though? He supposed he would find out soon anyway.

The pair walked up the stairs and to the right before entering a conference room. He didn't have time to register who they were meeting there before she spoke.

'Goodness gracious Draco. Whatever happened to you?' Headmistress McGonagall was sitting at the end of the desk, a look of horror etched across her face. So much for putting a glamour on before seeing the headmistress. He turned slightly to see Ellie who was seated to her right and his eyes were drawn straight to her. She looked indifferent and he couldn't read her.

'I'm afraid this was Lucius' doing Minerva.' Narcissa explained.

'That's terrible. Please, come sit Draco. We have much to discuss. Narcissa, would you care to join us for some tea? I shall call Madam Nicholson to fetch us some.' The witch asked.

'No thank you, Minerva, I think perhaps I should get along and do a few things. I'll be back before you finish.' She politely declined and glided out of the room.

'Right, I'll just get the tea sorted and then we can start.' McGonagall stood and went to fetch the ladies downstairs to make them some tea, leaving Ellie and himself alone. She didn't say anything, she just stared at her hands whilst she ringed them together. Was she nervous? Why would she be nervous? He thought she was over their past. Perhaps it was just the meeting in general. It was obviously going to be a Head's meeting. Probably something about Hogwarts' security protocols and such. He looked at the dark-haired girl. Her usually silky and wavy hair looked dull and frizzy. Her lightly freckled skin was porcelain from lack of sunlight. Rings of dark purple drooped from her eyes as if she hadn't been sleeping. In all honesty, she looked sick. When she met his gaze, his fear was confirmed. The once brightly shining, amber eyes had become a deep and dull ochre colour. She wasn't well and his whole body ached – not from the physical pain his father put him through – but rather from seeing her in this way.

'Elle, you look terrible.' He blurted out without thinking.

'Gee, thanks, Draco.' She snorted and looked away.

'Sorry. That came out wrong, I just meant…uh…well, are you okay?' He stumbled.

'Depends on what you mean by okay.' She replied.

'I just meant…, you know what forget it.' He shut his mouth. It wasn't worth delving deeper into at the moment.

'No. Say what you meant.' She said, a tone of frustration in her voice. When he didn't say anything, she threw the scrunched-up piece of paper he hadn't realised she had been holding at him.

'Hey. What was that for?' He yelled.

'Tell me what you meant. Also read it.' She pointed to the paper. He sighed, rubbed his sore face, and tried to think of the best way to answer her.

'Have you been sleeping?' He said finally.

'No.' She huffed. 'Now read the piece of paper before McGonagall gets back.' She demanded.

'Alright. Alright. No need to get so bossy.' He replied and unwrapped the paper, smoothing it in front of him.

'I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that.' She mumbled and he chuckled.

He turned his focus to the paper.

_Milton is sourcing the Demiguise blood  
They need large quantities of it  
Harry wants you to stay at Grimmauld Place during the breaks  
No luck in breaking your marriage contract  
How are you, no, really, how are you? _

He smirked at the last line and looked up at her.

'I'm better now the trace has been lifted.' He admitted.

'You look terrible, Draco.' She poked her tongue out at him and giggled.

'Touché.' He replied and scrunched the paper back into his pocket. 'So, Harry's place is a bit crowded at the moment.' He changed the subject because he honestly didn't want to talk about himself anymore.

'A little bit but it's been good having the company.' She sighed.

'I can only imagine.' He sighed, as McGonagall came back into the room with a tray of tea. She placed it on the table, poured each of them a cup, took a sip and then addressed the heart of the matter.

'This year at Hogwarts is going to be run a little differently.' She started.

'How so, professor?' Ellie asked.

'Firstly, we are going to increase the security at Hogwarts. Extra measures have been taken to protect the castle from any further damage. Restrictions will be placed on extra-curricular activities. Professor Slughorn insists on running his slug club, the chess club, the magical creatures club, the divination, transfiguration and potions club as well as the gobstones clubs will continue as normal.'

'And quidditch?' Draco sat up straight in his chair. His favourite game had better not be cancelled. He needed it to get through the year.

'Has been put on a probational period for the moment. We shall trial it but, if we cannot ensure the safety and security of the students then we shall have to disband it.'

He nodded silently. Thank goodness for that.

'And what of Hogsmeade trips?' Ellie asked.

'From now on there will be no Hogsmeade trips and every child of age will be notified at the Great Feast tonight. We would like there to be trips but we can not ensure everyone's safety. There will be stricter curfews as well. No student is to be out on the grounds without permission after dark. The exception is prefects on duty. I want you two to ensure the prefects stick by this protocol and enforce this ruling amongst the students. Is that clear?'

'Yes ma'am.' Draco said, taking a sip of his tea.

'One more thing on school matters. This year is going to be about promoting house unity and therefore, with the go ahead from the teachers, we have decided to introduce a buddy system. This will mean any student from years five to seven from a certain house will mentor a younger student from a house different from their own. That includes you two. Ellie, I have paired you with a Slytherin third year student, Fable Higgs and Draco, I have paired you with a Gryffindor third year, Dale Robins. Everyone will be given a piece of paper with their buddy on it at the feast tonight. I want you two to make sure everyone abides by the rule and give anyone who disobeys a detention. We will have a study, mentor night on Wednesday nights in the Great Hall and everyone is expected to show up and help their buddy if they need. It is our hope that we stop the hostility between certain houses. That is one of the main reasons I chose both of you to be heads. I know your past isn't great but I hope you two are on your way to putting that behind you. If the school community sees that perhaps it will have a ripple effect. Have I made myself clear?'

'Yes professor.' Ellie agreed, Draco nodded in response. He wasn't sure how the older Slytherins would react to that. But McGonagall knew what she was doing so he hoped it would all work out. He had far too many more pressing things to think about apart from having a little Gryffindor hanging around him.

'Alright. Well that concludes the official proceedings of this meeting. Is there anything you have to add for order things?' She whispered.

'Nothing that Harry hasn't already told you, professor.' Ellie said.

'Ok, well I'm afraid that I have to get back to the school. I shall see you two later today. Stay safe.' McGonagall left the room, leaving him alone with Ellie again. He looked at her and gave a small smirk before he got up to leave and find his mother.

'Draco.' She said, softly.

'Yes, Ellie?' He looked over his shoulder at her.

'Um…' She paused. 'Nothing. I'll see you on the train.' She muttered and disapparated out of the room. He assumed she would be going back to Grimmauld Place for the last few hours before they boarded the Hogwarts Express. He imagined what it would be like, the house in utter chaos as five or potentially even six people (couldn't forget Weaselette) prepared to go back to Hogwarts. He shook his head, muttered the disillusionment charm, and went downstairs to find his mother.

Narcissa's head snapped towards him as she talked with Tom the barman. She smiled as he made his way towards them.

'Yes, I'm sure Mr. Jenkins will be quite pleased. Now if you don't mind, we've got to get a move on Tom. Places to be, people to see. Etcetera.' She waved him off as they went out the back and into Diagon Alley. She didn't comment on her conversation with the barman and to be frank, he didn't really even care. His mother had associates all over the world and it was usually about something to do with a function or an investment. Nothing exciting. As they strode up to Gringotts, he wondered what on earth they were going to be doing at the bank. She obviously picked up on his confusion because she explained in a hushed tone. 'I am settling the money from the divorce.'

He nodded and stepped into line behind her because when Narcissa talked business you didn't want to be in the way. It was still early and the bank was perhaps the least busy he had ever seen it. But that didn't stop his mother. She marched up to the head goblin with a sense of sudden confidence he hadn't seen from her in a while. Her small but audible ahem alerted the goblin to her arrival.

'Ah Mrs. Malfoy, what can I do for you?' He sneered in his goblin-like manner.

'That is Ms. Black to you. I am no longer affiliated with that name apart from my son.' She gestured to him. 'Speaking of that is why I am here.' She conjured some paperwork and handed it to the goblin. He read intently over his half moon glasses and then nodded in understanding.

'Right this way, Ms. Black, Mr. Malfoy.' He jumped off his stool and directed them towards the carts. For the second time that month, they twisted and turned down to the Malfoy vault. 'Enchantment, please.' The goblin said to her and she whispered it to him. He traced his pointed finger down the door to reveal the vault behind.

'Half is yours; half stays here.' The goblin muttered as they walked into the vault.

'Goblin, what is your name?' Narcissa asked.

'Darium ma'am.' He replied.

'Darium, I'll need you to take a list.' She ordered as he conjured a notepad and quill and gestured for her to go on. 'Vault seven hundred and forty-three, move all jewellery to that vault. Leave all dark items here, I do not wish to be affiliated with them. Divide the money and other gems evenly between the vaults.'

'Mum, can't you take more than that? Afterall, he deserves what it after the way he's treated us.' He complained.

'Darling. As much as I hate your father, I once loved him and I can't leave him in complete financial debt.' She replied. 'Besides, my private vault has twice as much as this vault does.'

He whistled low. He had never in his wildest dreams believed that his mother was actually richer than his father. But it actually made sense. She was the one who had the keen mind for business. But because of the stupid deluded pureblood rule, she had no say on what his business ventures should've been.

'Darium, repeat back what I said to you.' She ordered the goblin.

'Even amounts of money and gems and all jewellery to move to vault seven hundred and forty-three, dark items stay here.' He replied succinctly.

'Good. I expect that to happen, effective immediately.'

'Yes ma'am.' Darium replied and whistled to other nearby goblins. 'We have a code 392. Effective immediately.' With that understanding, the goblins went about dividing the possessions in half.

'Sir, vault number?' One of them asked.

'Seven hundred and forty-three.' Darium replied.

'Yes sir.' The money began to disappear from within the vault and Draco assumed it was going straight into his mother's vault.

'Ma'am. Sir. We ask you to leave now. We will make sure all is in order.' The goblins rudely pushed them out of the vault and back towards the cart where Darium was waiting.

'Is that all you wanted today, Ms. Black?' He asked huskily as they got into the cart.

'Actually, I wish to open an account for Draco.' She replied.

'Ah, yes. A divorce settlement can never leave a child at a financial disadvantage. Once we return, would you mind stepping into a side office so we can find the appropriate security option for you? I do believe hmm…perhaps Mr. Weasley, yes, I'm sure he can assist you with such a task.' Darium said and began to whisk them away back to the top of the bank. Seriously? His mother was going to set him up with his own private account. He supposed that was a logical idea. It would prevent his father from making him broke the rest of his life. Once the ride was completed, Darium guided them to a one Mr. Weasley's office – how many children did this woman have? – where they were invited to sit down.

Bill Weasley, from the name tag on the desk, was apparently the oldest child given his age. Draco distinctly remembered that Fleur Delacour had married him and now that he was part of the order, he remembered seeing both of them at the meeting. It was all coming back to him.

'Now, Darium has just informed me that you would like to set up an account under Draco's name, is that right, uh…Ms. Black.' He raised his eyebrow at the piece of paper in front of him but said nothing to offend the opposing party.

'Yes. One with as much security as my own personal vault if that is possible.' She replied and looked at Draco. He was getting rather bored of being dragged around to doing all this business. He just wanted to get going and on the train back to Hogwarts.

'Right. Let's see what's available.' Bill pulled out a big book full of lists of what Draco assumed were all the vaults in the bank, who owned them and their security levels. 'Ah…you are in luck, Mrs…uh Ms. Black, sorry. Vault number seven hundred and forty-five has just become available since the last remaining heir of the owner of the vault has changed vault security level. I believe it is two apart from your own.' He replied.

'Excellent. Well we will take it.'

'Great. I'll just need some details from you Draco and get you to sign this and I'll give you the enchantment and you should be ready to go.' Bill replied. Draco couldn't help but notice the scar on his face from when Greyback attacked him. Bill smiled kindly but he could tell he was a bit put out by his staring still.

'Ah, one more thing.' His mother interjected. 'I will set up a monthly transfer into that vault from my personal one if that is possible.'

'Absolutely, I can put that through once I get the details. How much will that be for?'

'1500 galleons.' She replied. Draco looked at her in shock. 'Oh, don't give me that look, you'll have nothing in that account otherwise. Besides, it's only until you graduate and you can still live off your father's money. That is until he changes the enchantment on it.'

'Right. Draco, can you please fill out this information and we'll enter you into the system and get the account set up?'

He took the piece of paper and began filling out his details. Nothing out of the ordinary. Once he was done, he handed it back and gave him a piece of paper with the enchantment written on it.

'Pleasure doing business as always. Rest assured your son's financial status will be secure so long as he keeps the enchantment safe.'

'Thank you.' They both stood up and walked out of the office.

'Draco. Would you mind staying for a moment?' Bill asked.

'Sure.' Draco stopped in his tracks and turned towards the red-haired man. 'What can I do for you?'

'I have some information on your father. Just because I work an office job now doesn't mean I don't still keep up with my old curse-breaker friends. Anyway, it turns out that a few men, one confirmed as Lucius were at the base of a mountain in Spain protected by this dreadful curse.'

'A curse? What kind of curse?' He asked.

'It is terrifying. Makes you do the most insane things the closer you get to it. One curse-breaker killed himself when we tried to break the curse years back. We believe the mountain protects a hoard of creatures. Shape-shifting creatures. Anyway, we set up a tracking device to analyse who went by and who tried to break the curse. Both of which your father and three other men tried to do last night. Whatever they are doing, these creatures have something to do with it.' He whispered in a low voice.

'Bill, how much has Potter told you?' He asked.

'Not much.' Bill replied and ran his hand through his hair.

'The death eaters are after demiguise blood. It's to do with the mirror they've got. It enhances its power.' He replied.

'Well, that would make sense with the mountain theory.' Bill replied.

'So, is that all you had to tell me? My mother has some sort of schedule and we need to get going.' Draco said.

'Yes. That's all. Let Harry know if you see him.'

'Will do.' He went back out of the bank feeling relieved to finally be out of that place, his mother was waiting for him.

'Right, oh my is that really the time?' Narcissa asked as she looked up to the clock on the bank. 'We must really be going.' She grabbed Draco by the arm and pulled him towards the Leaky Cauldron and straight through into London. 'Come Draco. We mustn't dawdle.' She said as she pulled him into an alleyway and apparated them both somewhere.

* * *

He hadn't been expecting the side apparition and he was a bit winded when they landed.

'Mother. Where are we?' He wheezed.

'Visiting a friend. Come love.' She replied with a smirk and walked towards a shabby, dilapidated building with creaky steps up to the main entrance. The house looked so rundown that if he didn't know better it would have been given a condemned notice. He assumed whoever was inside had purposely made the house to look this way so that the neighbours wouldn't dare go near it.

'Arabella, it's Narcissa.' She knocked on the door as he looked around cautiously. Couldn't people see them?

'The house has wards, my child.' An older woman in a cloak stepped out of the house. He nearly jumped out of his skin. 'Don't be afraid, I am Arabella. A friend of your mothers. Come in, come in. We have much to discuss.'

The woman, Arabella or whatever, gave him a very strange vibe. It was like he had met her before, but he definitely knew he hadn't. However, his suspicion of the house being better on the inside than the outside was confirmed the moment he walked through the door. Arabella's wavy, once golden now silvery locks cascaded a mile down her back as she took her hood off and led them towards a settee inside her house. She was a woman of roughly sixty and was sporting an eclectic blouse and pant combination under a hooded robe. If he weren't mistaken, she looked a lot like the divination teacher Trelawney except without the hilariously ridiculous glasses and she hadn't once falsely predicted something. She offered them tea which his mother refused to let him decline even though he had only just had a cup of tea an hour before. Her reasoning, he would find out shortly.

'Now. Draco. I believe Narcissa was telling me that you are having trouble breaking a contract of some sort.' She began as she set the cups of tea in front of them. He didn't know what to say. Why did his mother even trust this woman with such a secret? Who the hell was she? 'Be careful what you say, my child, I am very equipped to read one's mind.' She raised one eyebrow and took a sip of her tea, her purple eyes glazed with amusement.

'Yes, I suppose you could say I have been.' He was thoroughly put out by the fact this woman was a legilimens. He already had too many friends with that ability. Her intense gaze at him had done nothing to calm him down. In fact, it had made him worse. What the hell was this woman playing at? Why did his mother bring him here? Why did she even trust her? How the hell was she going to help? His heart rate had spiked and he could feel his hands get sweaty. Was it hot in here or was that just him?

'Ah, I see. You don't think I should be trusted with this secret. You mustn't worry so much. I'm afraid I have no one to tell.' She said mystically. 'Please drink your tea, I won't be able to help unless you drink it.'

'Uh…excuse me but how is tea going to help me?' He was more confused than ever.

'Draco, Arabella is a tea-leaf reader. The best tea-leaf reader there is, she can help you if you only drink your tea.' Narcissa said and took a sip of her tea.

'How do I…'

'Know if it will work?' Arabella interrupted. 'Trust me, how did Professor Dumbledore know so much about what was happening? Because I interpreted them. Well me and my sister Sybil of course.'

'Professor Trelawney is…'

'My older sister, yes.' She interrupted again. 'Unfortunately, we've grown apart and she believes that I want nothing to do with her which is not true but her psychic abilities are not what they used to be.' He nearly snorted, remembering how Trelawney would always predict the grim in Potter's cup. But that would explain why he thought he looked like her in the first place and why he thought he knew her.

'So…how exactly will this help me with my problem?' Draco took a sip of his tea.

'Well, it will depend on what the leaves predict and then I may be able to advise you on how to go about your situation whatever it may be.' She replied.

'So, you're basically going to predict my future from a bunch of leaves. I'm sorry but I'm having a hard time believing that whatever you predict is going to be reliable. Your sister wasn't the best example.' He countered. The idea sounded absolutely preposterous.

'Yes. But your mother has told me that you have friends. Friends with the same abilities and they haven't been proven wrong as of yet, have they?' She mused. Well, the woman did have a point he supposed. Daphne and Theo had yet to predict anything wrong. But they didn't read tea leaves.

'Yes. But they…'

'Don't read tea leaves. I know, I know.' She interrupted him once more.

'Will you stop doing that? It's irritating.' He huffed in annoyance.

'Draco. Even if these leaves don't predict your future, you have no reason not to even try.' Narcissa said. 'See, I'll let Arabella predict mine first.' She handed the woman the cup and the energy in the room exploded with divine magical energy. It was as if the presence of spirits had ascended upon the room. It was creepy but also convincing. He would be no worse off than he was now.

'Narcissa, I see that you've just experienced or are experiencing a tower moment within your life. Perhaps with your husband. The leaves tell me you have recently come into a period of good fortune. Perhaps an old friend came to town or someone is willing to reconcile with you. The future is looking just as good with an attachment coming forward for those you love in your life. But beware, a past figure lingers longer than they should.' She snapped out of the trance and he knew right then and there that the woman was telling the truth. Not once had Professor Trelawney fallen into a trance when giving a prediction from his recount.

He took the last sip of his tea and passed his cup to her where she fell into another trance. She hissed.

'Alas. I can't find the answer to what you seek. But fear not, a young lass with raven hair will succeed in helping you. The leaves stir trouble in the near distant future. Beware of those around you, who may betray your trust. Long-term I see, much brighter and happier tones with you and your chosen bride being wed beneath an arch of rose.' She snapped out of the trance again and he could tell she was exhausted. 'Did I just clarify anything? I'm afraid I don't remember my predictions after I leave the psychic zone.'

'You said just enough. Thank you.' He said politely. 'But I do believe we must be off.' He said, looking at the clock on her wall. 'Sorry, I do need to be at Platform 9 ¾ in half an hour though.' He apologised and got up looking eagerly at his mother.

'Yes. I do believe we have taken up far too much of your precious energy.' She said. 'I will be in contact soon Arabella. We can catch up for high-tea.'

'Sounds wonderful, love. But get going. I don't want you two to be late on my account.' She ushered them to the door. 'Please do stay safe, these are daunting days I tell you. Daunting.' She waved them out the yard and across the street to the alleyway where they had originally apparated to. Draco didn't feel anymore clarity about his situation but had faith that Ellie would be the one to solve the problem. She nearly ran into his mother when she stopped dead in her tracks.

'Mother, what is it?' He asked and she shushed him dragging him up against to wall and gestured down the alleyway.

Two hooded men appeared and both him and his mother sank back into the dark shadows.

'Norman, do you honestly believe that he'll go through with it?' The younger of the two asked.

'Silence, you numbskull. It is already done. Finalised this morning. He had no choice in the matter.' Norman replied.

'But surely…'

'It was an ancient rule, boy. One that hadn't been enacted since well ever.'

'Well what will he do now?' The other one asked. Draco's foot slipped on a rock and made a loud noise. He flinched at the noise as Narcissa's eyes widened and the two men looked up.

'Who goes there?' Norman asked. 'I said who's there. Show yourself.' He had his wand out at the ready. Luckily, an alley cat chose that moment to jump out from behind some bins and went towards the men.

'It's just a stupid cat sir.' The other man said.

'I'm aware of that now, you fool.'

'So, what will Lucius do now since Narcissa has called it quits?' They began walking towards them and they both muttered the disillusionment charm, hoping that it would disguise them enough.

'Well we'll find out when we get to where we are going.' Norman replied with a tone of annoyance.

'Where's that?' The other man asked. Norman stopped and looked around, hoping that no one was around. When he didn't find anyone, he replied in a hushed tone.

'Look, I don't like you but since you've been so loyal to our cause, I will tell you. We're going to Nott Manor. The Nott boy was so bankrupt when his poor daddy died and left him with such a debt he had to sell the place. Stupid boy was too pigheaded to see the world the right way and he brought my traitorous daughter down with him. They'll rot in hell for what they've done.' Mr. Greengrass sneered and the pair continued up the road and out of earshot.

When the coast was clear, they both sank off the wall.

'Nott Manor? Mum you know what this means. This means that we know where they are hiding. And we can plan our next move.'

'Darling. Shh. Not here.' His mother soothed. 'You had better discuss this with the Zabini's.'

* * *

They disapparated to Platform 9 ¾. The Hogwarts Express had just arrived and the students were starting to arrive. Draco stood by one of the train station walls waiting anxiously for his friends to arrive. At approximately quarter to eleven they all appeared through the Kings Cross Station wall and he rushed forward to them, wishing his mother goodbye as he did.

'Hey Draco. How are you doing?' Blaise pulled him into a man hug.

'Could be better, I need to discuss something with all of you guys when we get on the train.' He replied. 'How was the rest of the holidays?'

'Good. Hey that sounds serious. You ok?' Isobel asked.

'Yeah fine. Where's Ellie?' He asked.

'Ah, I think she went to the bathroom with Daphne. She'll be here in a second. Don't get your wand in a twist.' Theo said.

'Theo! How are you going? It's been a bit.' Draco replied, glad to be amongst his friends again.

'Yeah we're great actually. Glad to finally be out of quarantine.' Theo joked.

'Quarantine? Who's diseased?' Daphne asked as she and Ellie joined the group.

'Nobody hon. Just making a joke.' He placed a kiss on her cheek.

'Hey Ellie.' Draco said.

'Hi Draco.' She replied. 'You ready for head duties?'

'Yeah. Let's go.' The two of them walked away from the rest of the group and Isobel suddenly asked.

'Do those two know how bad they've got it for each other?' The trio laughed at her comment.

'Hah. Oh, yeah. They've definitely got it bad.' Blaise replied and the quartet made their way towards the train to find a compartment.

It was going to be a long train ride to Hogwarts.

* * *

**They're going back to school! There were a lot of revelations this chapter. Hmm...the mystery is unfolding. Thanks to all those who have followed, favourited and reviewed this story. I appreciate them all. Hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Until next time Zozo :) **


	27. Hogwarts and Hellish Encounters

**Chapter 26**

* * *

**(Draco POV) **

'Oi Draco. Who's your new side chick?' A few Slytherins sneered from their compartments as he and Ellie made their way to the heads compartment.

'Yeah she's mighty pretty.' Another yelled.

'Hey sweetheart, why don't you dump him and come over here? I can make your time worthwhile.' Draco watched as Ellie pretended to drop something but then had the guy's neck at her wand point.

'Say that again.' She hissed. 'I dare you to say that again.'

'No.' The guy whimpered. 'Please don't hurt me.'

'You coward.' She pressed her wand threateningly at his neck.

'Ellie. Leave him. He isn't worth it.' Draco said, trying to pull her back, remembering that she could throw a nasty right-hook punch.

'Marcus. Leave her alone.' Another voice joined the conversation but then soured. 'Oh, isn't this bloody precious. Draco standing up for a mudblood.' Exclamations of shock were heard throughout the carriage. 'Oh, come on. It's like you haven't even heard the word before. I know who you are, you're supposedly Eleanora Zabini. Granger's long-lost identity. How nice of you to grace us with your presence.' The other voice drizzled with ice said from the end of the carriage. She stood up and Draco's mood instantly plummeted. Pansy.

All the other Slytherins shrieked and went back inside their compartments leaving them alone. The guy – Marcus or whoever that Ellie had threatened profusely apologised and sat down as Pansy slowly made her way towards them.

'So, you think you can just join the pureblood race? Oh sweetie, it's going to take a lot more than changing your looks. But of course, you're the 'smartest witch of our age''. She mimicked air quotes with her hands and then scoffed. 'You probably thought you could get some benefit from becoming a pureblood. That maybe you'd be accepted if you weren't so garbage.' Draco's inner beast was roaring. How dare he speak to her that way. But he let her speak a little more, what did she believe Ellie did? 'So, you went to your little library and did a little bit of research. You realised that Blaise had a long-lost sister and then you conveniently made up a story about how you were his sister and that you were a Zabini. Didn't you? The Zabini's were so desperate to find some closure about their poor daughter, that they accepted you, foolishly, in the hopes that their family would be complete. And Blaise. Poor, stupid, Blaise. He wanted a sister so badly, that he put his reputation aside to accept you into his life…'

'Alright. That is enough Pansy. You leave my friends alone.' Draco pushed past Ellie and launched himself at the girl.

'Ah, Draco. I knew you would finally see the light. I knew you wanted me.' Pansy said sweetly, batting her eyelids at him. This guy was an absolute psycho if that's what she thought.

'Sod off, Pansy. I've never wanted you. Nor will I ever want you. Ellie had blood tests done. She is a Zabini through and through. You will never be anything but a lying, conniving hoe and I'd be glad to have Ellie as a friend any day. Now, let us through.' He pointed his wand at her menacingly. She gulped and stepped aside and Draco gestured for Ellie to go ahead of him, all the while making death glances at Pansy.

'She's just using you. She doesn't give a stuff about you. That's the sad thing Draco. She's brainwashed you. Just like she's brainwashed everyone else.' Pansy yelled as they stepped into the Head's compartment. He slammed the door behind them.

'Shut up Pansy. No one cares about your drama.' He heard someone yell behind the door and he smirked. At least people weren't gullible enough to believe her. He turned to see Ellie flat out on one of the lounges in the compartment.

'I just realised what it's going to be like all year.' She said out loud with a frustrated sigh.

'I wouldn't worry about Pansy n…'

'It's not just Pansy. It's your entire house. There will be others in other houses who will believe that as well. That I went to the Zabini's in the hope that they would make me more accepted in the wizarding world.' She sat up and looked at him.

'No, they won't. But even if they do, the people who matter most know that you didn't. All your friends know that you didn't. And if they're your true friends they would know that you would never do that. Don't let the others get to you. The Hermione I know wouldn't let herself be beaten down by others. Did she ever back down when Professor Snape called her out as a Brainiac? No. Did she back down when my vicious aunt tortured her? No. Did she let it stop her when a foolish little boy called her a retched name? No. She stood her ground and fought back. She was brave in the plight of adversity. She worked even harder to maintain who she was, she…'

He was interrupted by her lips enveloping his with emotion. He hadn't even realised that she had made her way over to him whilst he had been singing her praises. After the initial shock, he relaxed and wrapped his arms around her, returning her kiss with as much passion as she had given him. His ego was relishing the fact, that his feelings were reciprocated as he savoured her sweet strawberry taste. His hands involuntarily made their way to entangle themselves in her hair, the frizzy locks tying themselves around his fingers and solidifying their connection at this moment. This bond edged him closer to her, moulding their bodies together so that they were sharing their body heat. He could feel the blood pumping through his veins as his erection strained against his pants. Merlin this woman was beautiful. His tongue reached out begging for more and she moaned softly, her lips parting to allow him access. Time passed and he had no idea how long they had been standing there but he was completely drowning in her. Completely lost in her world. But when he thought life couldn't get any better, his world came crashing down with a knock at their compartment door. Ellie tore herself away from him, muttered a cleaning spell and went to answer the door. She turned around at the last second to gesture to his face. He must've had something on it. He muttered a cleaning spell and then she opened the door.

'Oh sorry. I was looking for Hermione Granger, have you seen her?' A fifth year Ravenclaw said. 'I thought she was head girl.'

'She is and you're looking at her. But it's Ellie now if you don't mind.' Ellie chuckled.

'Oh, so the rumours are true. You are a Zabini.' The girl said in awe.

'Can you just get to the point please, Alice? It's been a trying morning.'

'Right. Well, there are some fifth year Slytherins picking on some first years up in compartment three. Just thought you ought to know.' The girl, named Alice, explained.

'I'll handle this, thanks Alice.' Draco stood and walked out the door away from Alice and Ellie. He needed to get his head screwed on again after that amazing kiss and perhaps give Ellie some time to get changed into her robes for school.

He returned about twenty minutes later, having sorted the Slytherins out and calmed the first years down. Ellie was on the lounge in her robes, her head girl badge proudly displayed on her left side.

'Hey, that badge looks good on you. I always knew you'd be head girl.'

'Oh…thanks, how did it go?' She looked up from the book he had missed on her lap.

'All sorted. Told Flint if he messed around with the first years again that he would serve detention with Flitwick. He always makes you…'

'Clean out the broom cupboards, I'm aware. You do not want to get a detention from him, Peeves is always in those cupboards.' She replied.

'You're speaking as if it is from experience.' He smirked. 'What did you do to deserve that?'

'You don't want to know.' She replied. He nudged her shoulder. He was truly interested in what she had done to warrant detention from Professor Flitwick.

'Fine. It wasn't that bad but he found me in the abandoned charms room practicing out of hours when Sirius Black had been on the loose.' She explained.

'Ah, why am I not surprised that even if you did get detention it was for being an 'insufferable-know it-all?' He mimicked Professor Snape. She rolled her eyes and continued to read her book.

'So, what did Peeves do?' He asked. He wondered what the poltergeist would've done.

'Threw a tantrum for interrupting his nap. Then spat wads of chewing gum in my hair.' She replied. 'Took the girls at least five hours to get all of it out of my hair.'

He chuckled. Peeves was the worst. The situation then got silent. The question he had been wanting to ask couldn't be kept in any longer. 'Are we not going to talk about what happened?'

When she looked up to reply, her words caught in her mouth.

'What happened?' Blaise entered the room from the bathroom, already clad in his school robes, and nursing a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans.

'Nothing that concerns you Blaise. Head things.' Ellie smiled at her brother. 'Please tell me you weren't eating those in there.'

'Ew. No. Absolutely not. But keep your secrets. But what I really want to know, is what exactly you had to tell us when you left us ever so eloquently without an answer. Bean?' He offered the box to them, and Ellie took one exclaiming her delight when she found out it was strawberry flavour.

'I will, but the others need to be here and I need to get changed into my robes first.' Draco replied, getting up to go to the bathroom.

'Fine, we'll go get them and come back.' Blaise raised his sister from the lounge and away from her book (which she was very reluctant to leave) and exited the room.

'Good luck out there, love.' He muttered and went into the bathroom to change into his robes.

* * *

'So, let me get this straight, they're using my old house as their hideout?' Theo exclaimed. 'That's just brilliant.'

'Does Harry know yet?' Ellie asked.

'I only found out this morning so I haven't run into him to tell him.' Draco replied.

'What in the world were you doing in the Northwest Avenue Alleyway anyway?' Daphne suddenly blurted out.

'Uh, my mother took me to some friend of hers. It wasn't important.' Draco lied.

'Then why are you blocking your mind?' Daphne asked again.

'Daphne, please don't start this again. It was a tea-leaf reader ok. Arabella Trelawney. Professor Trelawney's sister. Is that enough information for you? I'm really not in the mood.' He burst.

'Thank you. Sorry I pushed you.' She said quietly.

'Sorry, but we need some catching up here, what happened?' Neville asked. The Gryffindor was sat beside Hannah Abbott, Luna Lovegood and Seamus Finnegan.

'Oh right, we totally forgot to tell you.' Isobel said. 'Right, how do we put this simply? Draco went to Greengrass Manor and Mr. Greengrass is consulting with the people who blew up Milan. Milton Greengrass, a portrait of a relative was an apothecary and is sourcing demiguise blood to enhance the effects of Gwydion's Misguide. They require large quantities of the blood so the effects are not permanent. Now, Draco has heard that they are hiding at Nott Manor.' She explained. 'And that's what you missed on The Order versus the Death Eaters.' She muttered after and Ellie, giggled. Draco had no idea why as no one else in room laughed. Must have been an in joke, he assumed.

'So, does that mean that having Theo on our side could be an advantage?' Seamus asked. They all looked at him. 'I just meant that he'd might be able to get us lads in without alerting them.'

'I suppose I could. I do know my way around the Manor.' Theo mused, rubbing his chin. 'Actually, there are a lot of tunnels that run beneath the house from World War II but I'd have to sneak in initially to find a map.'

'Which sounds like it would definitely be too dangerous.' Ellie replied.

'Ok, that's just an idea. We'll have to throw it out to the order for them to decide what to do about it.' Blaise intervened. 'Actually, speaking of which, aren't Ginny and Ron meant to be in this room?'

'The Weasleys went on an impromptu holiday to Greece. Charlie is getting a dragon wrangling award.' Luna said wistfully.

'Oh…so when are they coming to Hogwarts?' Hannah asked.

'Molly said next Tuesday if all goes well.' Ellie replied. 'Draco, do you think we should go patrol the carriages now?'

'Yeah. We'll see you guys in a bit.' He agreed and they left the intensity of the room.

'Sorry, I just needed to get out of there.' She admitted when they were out of earshot.

'Is everything ok with you and Weasley?' He asked.

'No. He came to apologise for his outburst at the meeting but he ended up making it worse. It didn't help that he had just had an argument with Molly and Lavender. He was in an angry mood when he came. Now we aren't really speaking.'

'I'm sorry. But what did he say?' He asked, he was genuinely curious as to what he had said to her.

'He accused me of being in love with you.' She whispered as three fourth year Hufflepuffs walked past, talking about wizards chess. He blushed unknowingly and his throat went dry. Love? What an absolute joke. He may be incredibly attracted to her, but love was not on the table right now, if ever. He swallowed hard.

'And what did you say?' He pressed.

'I told him that it was preposterous. We're friends. That's all.' She replied. His ego was shot. So, what was that kiss about then? What were they? Friends? Friends with benefits? Lovers? Boyfriend/Girlfriend? Or was she just using him like Pansy had said.

_Stop it, Draco. You know this girl. She wouldn't do that to you. _

'So, what are we?' He asked out loud without even thinking.

'Oh…um, I don't know. Can we not talk about this right now? It's a bit private and we are in public.' She explained. He nodded. They were in a public place; it probably wasn't appropriate to talk about their relationship for everyone to hear. 'I promise we'll talk about this later. Regan. Matthews. This is a warning.' Ellie uncovered both of them with contraband. 'I'm sorry but it's school policy to not have these on your person. I'll let you go for now. But I will need you to dispose of these when we get to the station and don't think I won't check up on you because I will.'

'Geez. Bit harsh don't you think?' Draco asked when they exited the third years compartment.

'Not at all. Don't tell me you're going to favour your own house for not giving out detentions.' She replied. 'Because that is just not fair.'

'Want to make a bet?' He asked.

'Ok sure. What kind of bet are we talking here?' She countered.

'Whoever gives out the most detentions from their own house by the end of the year, will get…, I don't know, what do you want?' He wasn't actually sure on what to bet not knowing what she would actually like from him.

'You have to do anything I want for twenty-four hours?' She suggested. He thought about it. What could Ellie make him do that he wouldn't enjoy for twenty-four hours? Buy her books? He scoffed. That would easily be done. There were so many things he could get her to do as well. Oh, this would be evil. He loved it.

'You've got yourself a deal Granger.' He said.

'Zabini.' She corrected him.

'To me you'll always be Granger.' He smirked.

'Ok, well I have a few conditions to the bet first before we shake on it.' She added.

'Go on.' He persuaded.

'First. The detention must be warranted. You can't give it out just because you can. They must do something wrong.'

'Obviously.' He agreed.

'Second. The twenty-four hours will start from anytime the winner chooses to cash in on it.'

'Stands to reason.' He agreed. 'So, we got a deal?'

'You've got yourself a deal Malfoy.' She mimicked him and they shook hands on it. 'Get ready to lose Malfoy. I've never lost a bet and I'm not about to start now.' She teased.

'Well, you're looking at the bet winning master. I won three simultaneous bets where I had to sneeze every time I said the word and, eat an apple a day for a year and get three detentions from three consecutive classes.'

'Wait. I was in those three classes. Potions, Charms and Transfiguration. That was third year, right? I remember you sneezing a lot and I thought you had a cold. McGonagall nearly sent you to the infirmary.'

'Oh, don't remind me. I nearly lost 300 galleons for that.'

'300 galleons, who bet you that?'

'Ugh, Theo. It was actually 100 galleons per class to get a detention. Let's just say, I got a bit of beating from dad when Dumbledore called him in about it. He said I was an abomination if I remember correctly.'

'Oh. I'm sorry about that.'

'Don't be, it is in my past and I won't be going back to Malfoy Manor anymore so it won't happen again.'

'You won't?'

'My mother divorced my father yesterday. She moved out this morning.' He replied.

'Merlin. How did she manage that?'

'It was some violence clause that comes into effect the moment the woman files for divorce.'

'The man raises his hand and they are instantly divorced?' She interrupted him.

'Exactly.' He agreed.

'I wonder if your contract has that clause.' She uttered out loud.

'I'm not hitting Astoria, if that's what you mean.' He absolutely rejected the idea of violence having been subjected to countless rounds of it.

'No. I wouldn't condone that you do hurt Astoria. I was just wondering if the contract had one.' She replied.

'I suppose it would. But I wouldn't really know.' He shrugged. 'So, no luck with breaking it though?'

'Absolutely nothing apart from you know what. But it just seems ridiculous. I don't know what to do about it.' She sighed and opened the door of the nearest compartment. 'Hi Parvati, Lavender, Padma. How are we doing?'

'What do you want?' Lavender snarked at her.

'Hiya Hermione. Well I suppose it is Ellie now, isn't it? How were your holidays?' Parvati said.

'Great, spent a bit of it in Italy and yours?'

'Absolutely wonderful. Padma and I went to Niagara Falls with the family.'

'Sounds great. And how about yours Lavender?'

'Me and Won-Won had a great time at The Burrow, what's it to you?' She sneered.

'Sorry Ellie, Lavender is still not happy about what happened in sixth year.' Parvati soothed, she noticed him standing behind her. 'Oh, hi Draco. Didn't see you there.'

'Ladies. If you don't mind, I think Ellie and I should finish our rounds.' He wasn't ready for them to get into another fight not too long after they had faced Pansy and this Lavender girl, sure was looking for one.

'Oh, go ahead. See you around Ellie.' Parvati gave them a wide smile and went back to talk some sense into that Lavender girl.

'Won-Won?' He asked.

'Uh. It's her nickname for Ron.' She explained. He downright chortled. Won-Won? Oh, this was absolutely priceless. The Weasel would never live this down now. That is, if Ellie forgave him for his stupidity.

'I know, it's ridiculous isn't it?' She giggled with him.

'Draco! I've been looking for you everywhere. Why did you leave? I hated being so alone without you.' Astoria entered the carriage and launched herself onto him, winding him in the process. He rolled his eyes at her whining. 'Oh, who are you?' She glared at Ellie, having noticed her standing beside him.

'Astoria, this is Eleanora Zabini. Blaise's twin sister.' Draco said.

'Oh, so you're the elephant everyone has been talking about. Hmph. You're not as pretty as they described.' Astoria stood back and judged her.

_Wait, did she just call Ellie an elephant? _

'But you're just as whiny.' She muttered loud enough for them to hear and Draco chortled for the second time. Who knew Granger had a sense of humour?

'Draco! You're not going to let her talk to me that way are you?' She folded her arms across her chest and pouted.

'Astoria. It was funny okay. Take a joke.' He replied and went to brush past her.

'Where are you going? I'm not done with you. Uh Erica, could you give us some privacy please?'

'It's Ellie.' She corrected. 'I'm going to finish the rounds; I'll see you back at the heads compartment.' She walked off towards the end of the carriage and his legs yearned to run after her. He did not want to be stuck with Astoria right now – no matter if he were obligated to be or not.

'Finally. I thought she'd never leave. What the hell were you doing with Granger anyway? I thought you hated her. At least that's what I've always heard.' She held an accusative tone.

'She's head girl and I'm head boy that's all it is, I swear.' He lied. There was no way in hell she could ever find out that they were friends or potentially even more.

'Why didn't you tell me you were head boy? Oh, my goodness, you'll get your own dormitory and we'll be able to spend so much time alone together before the wedding. I want to get to know my husband more. I feel like you try to ignore me. Why do you ignore me Draco? Haven't you noticed that I'm wearing the necklace you gave me? Don't you just love the way it looks on me?' He was having a hard time keeping up with her mood swings. One moment she was happy, the other she was angry. He couldn't even care less about that necklace he had given her. Bellatrix truly had awful taste. He made a mm noise but it wasn't truly convincing, however, it hadn't seemed to faze her as she kept rambling on about her friends in a ditzy sort of manner. Why couldn't she just choose one personality? The Astoria who read books in the library during holidays seemed like a better version to the one she seemed to prefer. 'Draco. Are you listening?'

_Oh crap, what had she been talking about?_

'I said. We'll have to have high tea at the manor sometime soon again, perhaps your mother and father can join us.' She explained with a huff of annoyance.

'That will be a hard pass on Lucius' end. My mother just divorced him.' He said, casually.

'Divorced? When? Why? How is that even possible?' She sounded downright shocked. He smirked. Poor girl probably still believed in happily ever after and that relationships don't require work.

'I'd rather not get into the specifics but my mother didn't want to be with my father anymore.' He was getting rather bored with this conversation. 'If you'll excuse me, I have Head things to do.' He brushed Astoria off his arm and walked in the direction Ellie had walked in. He heard a little humph from Astoria as he did. Merlin, he could not stand this girl.

* * *

There was only one thing different about the train's arrival at Hogsmeade this year. The vast majority of students were now aware that the carriages to Hogwarts were not driving themselves – the thestrals now revealing themselves after the war. So many people had seen death that year previous and he assumed that the worst wasn't over yet. With Gwydion's Misguide in their possession and the order still not entirely knowing what it's powers were, gave the death eater co-operative an unfair advantage. Yet, they did now know where they had been hiding. He mentally made a note to send Potter a message with that information later. Aquilla had finally made her way back to her cage, so at least he could contact him now. Perhaps the wonder boy could come up with a solution on how to bring them down or at least know what they are planning next. Preferably before any more disappearances occurred. The disappearances that kept amounting everyday – all either muggleborns or those who had associated with muggles, made him truly concerned about the welfare of Ellie. She was the epitome of what the death eaters despised, making her and Blaise prime targets. He was just thankful that McGonagall had the sense to add extra security to the castle this year.

Ellie had also mentioned to him how many sleepless nights she had been having recently. She hadn't gotten any further with any of the predicaments they had been bestowed with. Every passing day, he got closer and closer to the impending doom of marriage to Astoria Greengrass. Every passing day, they got closer and closer to the inevitable war against the death eaters. But they never got any closer to finding a way to defeat either. On the train he had taken Blaise aside.

* * *

_'Ellie hasn't been sleeping.' He was blunt. _

_'I'm aware. I haven't either. Dreamless sleep potion doesn't do a thing unless you actually go to sleep.' Blaise answered. _

_'I'm worried about how much stress she has, with being Head Girl, the prophecies, my contract and whatever else may happen with you know what.' _

_'And you think I'm not? I'm her twin brother. Her safety and health is my top priority. I've tried to help her to the best of my ability, truly. But the nightmares are too strong.' _

_'Nightmares?' _

_'She's having nightmares about the night in the manor. The…'_

_'I remember the one. How could I ever forget that night? It haunts me too.' Draco stopped him. There was absolutely no way he would forget that night. _

_'I don't think we are fully aware of the extent of torment those three went through on their mission to bring down you know who. The emotional scars are unimaginable. Ellie has opened up to me a bit through our sibling bond but I can tell she's hiding a lot of the details. I know she hasn't been talking to you about them either and with her strained relationship with Ron and Harry's pure neglect to talk about anything in the past, I think it's all taking its toll on her.' _

_'Should we go see McGonagall?' Draco asked. _

_'I see no other way. This is out of our hands Draco.' _

_'And how have you been handling everything since your trip to the apothecary?' _

_'About the same really. Nothing is certain these days. Isobel cries herself to sleep every night out of fear. Ellie and I do our best to help her but it's all futile. I'm constantly in fear for not only the livelihood of our friends but that our parents are not alive. Did we tell you that they had disappeared? Not even a trace of a struggle or anything.' _

_'I'm sorry to hear about that Blaise. I hadn't heard they had disappeared.' _

_'I'm not sure I want to even talk about it.'_

_'You don't have to I get it mate.' He slapped his hand reassuringly on Blaise's back. 'It will be ok, Blaise. We'll all get through this.' _

_'I see Ellie has been rubbing off on you.' Blaise chuckled. _

_'It's these darn Gryffindors. They're making me soft.' He joked. _

_'Come on mate, I think we need to find the trolley-maid. Nothing that a few pumpkin pasties can't solve.'_

* * *

Headmistress McGonagall now stood in front of the crowd in the Great Hall. Anticipation was met by all the students – of which Draco noticed was a lot less than the year previous, perhaps not all families were willing to send kids back, had moved on to somewhere else or Merlin forbid had died.

'Welcome all of you to Hogwarts. It has been a trying few months as we've rebuilt the school but we hope that this year the school can get back onto it's feet. In a few moments, the first-year students will make their way into the Great Hall for the first time. I would like all of you, regardless of your house, to make them all feel welcome. Professor Flitwick! Could you please go collect the first years?' She yelled to the professor who was at the back of the hall. 'Sadly, the sorting hat endured quite a bit of damage during the war and sadly lost all it's magic. It was beyond repair. But thanks to the kind donation of the Department of Magical Artefacts we have been given a new sorting hat.' A round of applause went about the room. 'Alright, quiet down. I've just been informed that the first-year students have arrived. Please join in a round of applause as they enter. Professor we are ready.'

A round of applause sounded as about thirty students walked into the Great Hall – evidently this wasn't a very big cohort. Once they reached the podium, Professor Filtwick took over the Podium to speak to the students to be sorted.

'When your name is called, please step up to the sorting hat and place it on your head. The hat will decide your house.' He announced. 'But first, the hat has a little jingle it would like to sing to you all.'

_Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum,  
Play the old snare drum  
Tonight some students will come  
To be sorted with their fellow chums_

_Will you be Gryffindor, brave and bold  
The house of bright red and gold  
Chivalry is a trait, I'm told  
Is this your house foretold_

_Or will you be Ravenclaw, wise and true  
Where minds grow as smart as two  
Their colours are bright bronze and blue  
But their papers are never overdue _

_Yet, here is Hufflepuff, loyal and just  
In here there is never one to distrust  
To be hard-working is a must  
And those who disagree, eat my dust_

_Finally, there's Slytherin, ambitious and strong  
Now here is a house where leaders belong  
They're cunning, that's all, this song is too long  
Now to place you, let's hope I'm not wrong_

Draco chuckled. The people at the Department of Magical Artefacts will probably get a talking to, this hat was even worse than the old one. Flitwick began to read out names and all the students began to be placed in their respective houses.

'Hey, what do you reckon about the new hat?' Theo whispered. 'Off it's rocker isn't it?'

'I reckon. McGonagall looked like she was going to spontaneously combust with the eat my dust line.' Blaise chuckled.

'Hey, how many do you reckon will be in Slytherin?' Daphne asked as another student went to join the Ravenclaw table.

'Not many if you ask me.' Draco said. 'We'll be a rare breed now that everything our house stands for is going down the drain.'

'Let's hope that's not the case.' Blaise replied. 'Pst. Ellie is looking at you.' He whispered in his ear.

He caught Ellie's eye over at the Gryffindor table and he gave her a weak smile, which she returned.

'What do you reckon she wants?' He asked Blaise back.

'I spoke to her on the carriage ride here. She had to talk to you about something after the prefects meeting tonight.'

'Oh right, yeah I know what it was about then. You're coming to that right? You're the Slytherin prefect.'

'Yeah I'll see you there. Ugh. Don't remind me. I have to spend an hour and half every other night with Millicent Bulstrode. Do you know how annoying she is?'

'Can't be worse than Pansy. Don't look she's giving us the evil eye from down there.' Draco replied.

'True that. Oh Merlin, what's going on with her? I've never seen her so bullfrog like, she normally looks like a…'

'Pug, yes. Will you guys listen?' Daphne frowned from across the table.

'Sorry.' They mouthed and looked back to the podium where the last few names were being called out. It turned out that the last five students ended up in Slytherin, three from big pureblood families – Yaxley, Flint and Shafiq.

'With all students finally seated, I will need to address some rules for this year. The first is that the Forbidden Forest is strictly off limits unless accompanied by a teacher. With our new security system, all Hogsmeade trips have been hereby cancelled and quidditch has been put on a probational trial period. I know this is disappointing but we have to ensure the safety of our students. Also, no student should be out of the castle by sun fall. Our prefects and heads will ensure this rule is abided. Our caretaker Mr. Argus Filch, has requested that all students be aware of the items of contraband that if they are in your possession will be confiscated. A list of which can be found outside Mr. Filch's office on the second floor. This is your initial warning so please abide by these rules for student and teacher welfare and safety. Thirdly, Hogwarts would like to announce the arrival of two new professors to the board. The new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Hugo Lupin.' He stood up and everyone clapped. Draco wondered if he was a relative of the other Professor Lupin. 'And we would like to welcome Professor Arabella Trelawney, our new divination teacher.'

_Wait. What? Wasn't that the woman he saw this morning?_

'Hey, Draco. Didn't you go visit her this morning?' Theo asked.

'Yeah. I had no idea she was going to be the divination teacher.' Draco's throat went dry. Something was iffy here but he had no idea what.

'Now I would like to announce our new Head Boy and Girl for this year. Mr. Draco Malfoy and Miss. Eleanora Zabini or Hermione Granger as she was formerly known.' They both stood up for all the students to see, they locked eyes and he gave her a curt nod. 'Our prefects are as follows: For Slytherin House, Millicent Bulstrode and Blaise Zabini, for Ravenclaw House we have Isobel MacDougal and Michael Corner, for Hufflepuff house, Hannah Abbott and Ernie MacMillan and for Gryffindor House we have Ginevra Weasley and Dean Thomas.' All of those students stood up for their houses to see before McGonagall finally got to what he had been waiting to hear about all night.

'Now, in light of recent events, the teaching faculty and the board of directors have seen fit to introduce a house unity project within the school. Every Wednesday night, a school wide study session will be held here in the Great Hall. In addition, every fifth to eighth year student will be buddied with a first to fourth year student from a different house and will be required to assist the student in any academic problems they have.' Sounds of protest erupted from around the room.

'Did you know about this?' Blaise asked him.

'Found out this morning but wasn't allowed to tell.' He shrugged.

'Settle down. I said, settle down. We know this is inconvenient for some people but we feel that certain hostilities between the houses have been going on for far too long and need to be settled right now. Therefore, if any student refuses to follow this rule, they will serve detention for each consecutive time that they refuse. Now, an envelope will appear in front of each student which will have the name, house, and year of the student that they are buddied with. I expect everyone to find this person this week and introduce yourself.' Envelopes appeared in front of all the students and they all began opening them. 'Now without further ado. Let the feast begin.'

Mountains of food appeared in front of them but they were all too interested in who they got for a buddy.

'Hey, Daph. Who'd you get?' Blaise asked and put down his envelope to put a chicken drumstick on his plate.

'Harrison Regan, third year, Hufflepuff. You?' She replied and began to eat the food as well.

'Linus Matthews, third year, Hufflepuff.' He answered.

'I heard they're best mates.' Draco blurted out remembering how Ellie had nearly given them a detention for having contraband without the year even starting yet.

'Awesome.' They high fived across the table. 'How about you Theo?'

'Some kid named Peter Prewett. He's a second year Ravenclaw. What about you Draco?'

'Dale Robins, Gryffindor, third year.'

'Hey, none of us got first years. Cheers to that.' They raised their pumpkin juice filled goblets to celebrate the fact that none of them had to teach kids remedial potions and charms.

* * *

When the feast was eaten and everyone had somehow found a second stomach for dessert, McGonagall dismissed the houses to their respective dormitories. Draco found Ellie waiting for him outside the Great Hall so that they could find their dormitory together.

'Apparently, it's on the fifth floor near the prefects bathroom. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History.' She muttered and walked ahead without even greeting him. 'McGonagall said we need to make our own password. So, what do you think it should be?'

'How about Frefossilo?' He suggested, the thought coming out of nowhere.

'Like the Grindylow from the fairy-tale?' She queried.

'Yeah, why not?' He asked. It was an easy enough password to remember but wasn't so easy that anyone would know it.

'Sure. We can change it as often as we need but that seems good enough for now.' She shrugged and picked up her pace.

'Ellie what is the rush? We've got a while before the prefects meeting at eight thirty.'

'There's no rush. Just come on, Draco.' She sounded annoyed and he wondered what had gotten into her since he had last talked to her. But then he remembered he had last seen her when Astoria had interrupted them. Could it have something to do with her?

He couldn't ask or rather didn't have time to ask her because she had already gotten so far ahead of him. He began to run after her but got caught on the moving staircases going in the opposite direction.

'Shit.' He said out loud.

'Watch your language boy.' One of the portraits muttered.

'Sorry.' He apologised and ran up the staircase to catch another one which was going in the right direction this time. When he finally caught up to her, she was waiting in front of a statue of Beedle-The Bard, her foot tapping the ground impatiently.

'What took you so long?' She asked.

'Got side-tracked on the moving stairs sorry.' He apologised.

'Come on, it won't let us in unless we both say the password.' She pulled him over to her right-hand side. 'On the count of three we'll say it together. Ok? Alright. One, two, three.'

'Frefossilo.'

* * *

**Here is Chapter 26. Hope you enjoy. Until next time, Zozo :) **


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